Poland

European markets drop, gold rises as Greenland tariff threat looms<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//business//2026//01//12//gold-and-silver-soar-after-us-targets-federal-reserve-in-powell-probe/">Gold and silver soar after US targets Federal Reserve in Powell probe<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>Gold returns to the favour of investors<\/h2>\n<p>For the NBP, gold is an element of the country's long-term financial security strategy.<\/p>\n<p>As Mint of Poland experts note, the greater the uncertainty in the markets, the greater the interest in assets perceived as a \"safe haven.\" There is also a growing awareness among retail investors of the role of gold in long-term capital protection.<\/p>\n<p>However, some economists oppose this thesis and feel that a high proportion of gold may not meet the needs of flexible reserve management in a modern economy and funds could be better allocated in other, more productive investments.<\/p>\n<p>Reaching 550 tonnes is an important milestone, but announcements of further purchases suggest that Poland has not yet said its last word. In a world of rising geopolitical tensions and a changing financial order, gold is once again becoming one of the key assets and Poland wants to be at the forefront of this game.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1768839959,"updatedAt":1768918578,"publishedAt":1768918573,"firstPublishedAt":1768918573,"lastPublishedAt":1768918573,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/84\/44\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d5f70e11-5478-5eb8-a875-91d3ebdc466e-9618444.jpg","altText":"Prof. Adam Glapi\u0144ski, President of the NBP","caption":"Prof. Adam Glapi\u0144ski, President of the NBP","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Narodowy Bank Polski","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/84\/44\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_17cb2aa6-1cc9-5237-b7e5-8071beaeb7c6-9618444.jpg","altText":"The US Depository at Fort Knox opened for inspection for members of Congress, 24 September, 1974","caption":"The US Depository at Fort Knox opened for inspection for members of Congress, 24 September, 1974","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1357},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/84\/44\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_2b5f5986-c0dc-5b93-906e-bc293783349a-9618444.jpg","altText":"A worker lays out one kilogram gold cast bars at the ABC Refinery in Sydney, 30 April, 2025","caption":"A worker lays out one kilogram gold cast bars at the ABC Refinery in Sydney, 30 April, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3234,"urlSafeValue":"glogowski","title":"Glogowski 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POLAND","daletPyramidId":3903841,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Is Poland's president promoting a bitcoin platform? ","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Is Poland's president promoting a bitcoin platform? ","titleListing2":"Is Poland's president promoting a bitcoin platform? ","leadin":"A video circulating online appears to show Poland's president endorsing a bitcoin investment platform, but the footage has been taken out of context.","summary":"A video circulating online appears to show Poland's president endorsing a bitcoin investment platform, but the footage has been taken out of context.","keySentence":"","url":"is-polands-president-promoting-a-bitcoin-platform","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2026\/01\/19\/is-polands-president-promoting-a-bitcoin-platform","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A clip shared on X and Instagram shows Polish President Karol Nawrocki promoting an investment platform called Bitcoin Trader AI.\n\nIn the clip, the president allegedly says: \"Exactly after midnight today is the last chance to become part of the government's Bitcoin Trader AI programme.\"\n\nHowever, this clip has been taken out of context and was likely altered using AI.\n\nA reverse image search shows that the original video was posted by Karol Nawrocki in November 2025, during which he justified using his veto power and asked the government to consult him on early-stage draft bills.\n\nNawrocki, a member of the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, has repeatedly clashed with centrist Polish leader Donald Tusk.\n\nUnder Poland's constitution, the president has the power to veto laws passed by parliament, preventing them from taking effect unless lawmakers are able to override the decision.\u00a0\n\nSince taking office, Nawrocki has made frequent use of this power, using it to veto legislation that sought to prolong benefits received by Ukrainian refugees in Poland, as well as amendments to an animal welfare bill aimed at banning the permanent chaining of dogs.\n\nHe also vetoed legislation which backed the EU's Digital Services Act \u2014 a move that could expose Warsaw to high fines set by Brussels.\u00a0\n\nThe original video shows Nawrocki explaining that he uses his presidential veto to protect citizens' interests, legal transparency and the stability of the state, not, as the doctored clip depicts, to encourage viewers to invest in bitcoin.\u00a0\n\nThe clip has been altered using AI to include advertising for an investment platform into Nawrocki's original speech, according to Polish fact-checking organisation Demagog.\n\nA comparison of frames from both videos shows that the president's mouth movements and voice do not match the original November 2025 recording, indicating the clip was altered using AI.\u00a0\n\nThere is no credible evidence of Nawrocki encouraging people to invest in this bitcoin platform, although he did veto a bill in December 2025 that intended to regulate the crypto-assets market in Poland, arguing it amounted to excessive regulation of the market.\n\nCommon scam playbook\u00a0\n\nIt's not the first time footage of Nawrocki \u2014 or other European leaders \u2014 has been used to make deepfakes to promote investment platforms.\n\nAn investigation into online investment fraud in the European Union found that the German defence minister has been featured in AI-generated scam investment adverts.\u00a0\n\nAnother investigation found that Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders has also been targeted, with scammers creating YouTube videos using synthetic voice cloning and AI-generated visuals to mimic Wilders and convince viewers to invest in a fraudulent trading platform.\u00a0\n\nVictims in such schemes are typically redirected to a third-party website where they are asked to submit personal data or make an initial deposit. Consumer protection groups have warned that users can lose thousands through such programmes.\n\nArtificial intelligence has accelerated these schemes, making it easier to create convincing advertisements for platforms and potentially win viewers' trust.\u00a0\n\nThe circulation of the fake video comes as Nawrocki refused to sign legislation that would implement the EU's Digital Services Act in Poland.\n\nAs Demagog points out, part of this law is that it is designed to force online platforms to remove illegal content, such as financial scams, more quickly.\u00a0\n\nThe Cube, Euronews' fact-checking team, reached out to Nawrocki's office for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.\u00a0\n\n","htmlText":"<p>A clip shared on X and Instagram shows Polish President Karol Nawrocki promoting an investment platform called Bitcoin Trader AI. <\/p>\n<p>In the clip, the president allegedly says: \"Exactly after midnight today is the last chance to become part of the government's Bitcoin Trader AI programme.\"<\/p>\n<p>However, this clip has been taken out of context and was likely altered using AI. <\/p>\n<p>A reverse image search shows that the original video was posted by Karol Nawrocki in November 2025, during which <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.youtube.com//watch?v=a444JavRVHQ\%22 target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong>he justified using his veto power and asked the government to consult him on early-stage draft bills<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Nawrocki, a member of the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, has repeatedly clashed with centrist Polish leader Donald Tusk. <\/p>\n<p>Under Poland's constitution, the president has the power to veto laws passed by parliament, preventing them from taking effect unless lawmakers are able to override the decision. <\/p>\n<p>Since taking office, Nawrocki has made frequent use of this power, using it to veto legislation that sought to prolong benefits received by Ukrainian refugees in Poland, as well as amendments to an animal welfare bill aimed at banning the permanent chaining of dogs.<\/p>\n<p>He also vetoed legislation which backed the EU's Digital Services Act \u2014 a move that could expose Warsaw to high fines set by Brussels. <\/p>\n<p>The original video shows Nawrocki explaining that he uses his presidential veto to protect citizens' interests, legal transparency and the stability of the state, not, as the doctored clip depicts, to encourage viewers to invest in bitcoin. <\/p>\n<p>The clip has been altered using AI to include advertising for an investment platform into Nawrocki's original speech, according to Polish fact-checking organisation Demagog.<\/p>\n<p>A comparison of frames from both videos shows that the president's mouth movements and voice do not match the original November 2025 recording, indicating the clip was altered using AI. <\/p>\n<p>There is no credible evidence of Nawrocki encouraging people to invest in this bitcoin platform, although he did veto a bill in December 2025 that intended to regulate the crypto-assets market in Poland, arguing it amounted to excessive regulation of the market. <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Common scam playbook<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It's not the first time <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////demagog.org.pl//fake_news//prezydent-gwarantuje-50-tys-zlotych-uwazaj-to-internetowe-oszustwo///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong>footage of Nawrocki<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 or other European leaders \u2014 has been used to make deepfakes to promote investment platforms. <\/p>\n<p><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.investigate-europe.eu//posts//investment-scammers-slip-through-cracks-in-eu-big-tech-law?utm\%22 target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong>An investigation into online investment fraud in the European Union<\/strong><\/a> found that the German defence minister has been featured in AI-generated scam investment adverts. <\/p>\n<p><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.group-ib.com//blog//exposing-investment-scams//?utm%5F\%22 target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong>Another investigation found that Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders has also been targeted<\/strong><\/a>, with scammers creating YouTube videos using synthetic voice cloning and AI-generated visuals to mimic Wilders and convince viewers to invest in a fraudulent trading platform. <\/p>\n<p>Victims in such schemes are typically redirected to a third-party website where they are asked to submit personal data or make an initial deposit. Consumer protection groups have warned that users can lose thousands through such programmes. <\/p>\n<p>Artificial intelligence has accelerated these schemes, making it easier to create convincing advertisements for platforms and potentially win viewers' trust. <\/p>\n<p>The circulation of the fake video comes as Nawrocki refused to sign legislation that would implement the EU's Digital Services Act in Poland.<\/p>\n<p>As Demagog points out, part of this law is that it is designed to force online platforms to remove illegal content, such as financial scams, more quickly. <\/p>\n<p>The Cube, Euronews' fact-checking team, reached out to Nawrocki's office for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication. <\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1768563815,"updatedAt":1768852757,"publishedAt":1768835458,"firstPublishedAt":1768835458,"lastPublishedAt":1768852756,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP 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WANTS REFORM THE EU","daletPyramidId":3906532,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Polish president slams EU as a 'fading star' while warning of Russian imperialism","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Polish president slams EU as 'fading star' and warns of Russian threat","titleListing2":"Polish president slams EU as a 'fading star' while warning of Russian imperialism","leadin":"One of Russia's goals, in addition to persecuting its own citizens, \"is territorial expansion, mass murder and attacks on civilian targets, including hospitals and schools,\" the Polish president said.","summary":"One of Russia's goals, in addition to persecuting its own citizens, \"is territorial expansion, mass murder and attacks on civilian targets, including hospitals and schools,\" the Polish president said.","keySentence":"","url":"polish-president-slams-eu-as-a-fading-star-while-warning-of-russian-imperialism","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/01\/16\/polish-president-slams-eu-as-a-fading-star-while-warning-of-russian-imperialism","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Polish President Karol Nawrocki criticised European Union policies Thursday, describing the 27-member bloc as a \"fading star\" while asserting he supports European integration.\n\nNawrocki told the Diplomatic Corps he opposes the EU's Green Deal, the Mercosur trade agreement, centralising tendencies and migration policy stating he wanted to see \"a strong Poland in a healthy EU.\"\n\n\"I believe Poland should be at the forefront of the camp of reform of the European Union, open to all countries that do not agree with the continuation of existing policies and at the same time do not want to be counted among the opponents of the very idea of a united Europe,\" Nawrocki said.\n\n'Poland is aware of the threat from Moscow'\n\nAt Thursday's meeting with the Diplomatic Corps, Nawrocki spoke of \"Russian imperialism,\" saying one of Russia's goals, in addition to persecuting its own citizens, \"is territorial expansion, mass murder and attacks on civilian targets, including hospitals and schools.\"\n\n\"Poland, which has bordered Russia for centuries, is aware of the threat from Moscow like few others,\" he said.\n\nHe said Russia will not abandon further expansion after the war in Ukraine ends. \"Only by increasing the defence capabilities of all allies and our unity can Russia be deterred,\" he said.\n\nNawrocki has previously criticised EU and Ukraine policies. Before his election in June 2025, he signed an eight-point declaration by Slawomir Mentzen of far-right coalition Konfederacja, asserting he would oppose Ukraine's entry into NATO and would not allow Polish soldiers to be sent to Ukraine.\n\nDuring a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Nawrocki accused him of being ungrateful to Poland.\n\nNawrocki and Tusk at loggerheads\n\nPolish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Thursday relations with Nawrocki are difficult, although through no fault of his own. The main disputes concern security issues, including energy, and Polish diplomacy and foreign policy, Tusk stated.\n\nThese issues should not be \"the subject of incessant quarrelling or spite-making,\" he added.\n\nForeign Minister Rados\u0142aw Sikorski is set to meet with Nawrocki on 26 January to \"explain to him\" Poland's constitutional rules, Tusk said.\n\n\"I hope these arguments will finally make some kind of impression and that the long-awaited appointments of Polish diplomats to full ambassadorial posts will take place.\"\n\nBacked by the conservative Law and Justice or PiS party, Nawrocki won Poland's presidential election on 1 June 2025, defeating Warsaw Mayor Rafa\u0142 Trzaskowski with 50.89% of the vote. He took office on 6 August 2025.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Polish President Karol Nawrocki criticised European Union policies Thursday, describing the 27-member bloc as a \"fading star\" while asserting he supports European integration.<\/p>\n<p>Nawrocki told the Diplomatic Corps he opposes the EU's Green Deal, the Mercosur trade agreement, centralising tendencies and migration policy stating he wanted to see \"a strong Poland in a healthy EU.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"I believe Poland should be at the forefront of the camp of reform of the European Union, open to all countries that do not agree with the continuation of existing policies and at the same time do not want to be counted among the opponents of the very idea of a united Europe,\" Nawrocki said.<\/p>\n<h2>'Poland is aware of the threat from Moscow'<\/h2>\n<p>At Thursday's meeting with the Diplomatic Corps, Nawrocki spoke of \"Russian imperialism,\" saying one of Russia's goals, in addition to persecuting its own citizens, \"is territorial expansion, mass murder and attacks on civilian targets, including hospitals and schools.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"Poland, which has bordered Russia for centuries, is aware of the threat from Moscow like few others,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>He said Russia will not abandon further expansion after the war in Ukraine ends. \"Only by increasing the defence capabilities of all allies and our unity can Russia be deterred,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>Nawrocki has previously criticised EU and Ukraine policies. Before his election in June 2025, he signed an eight-point declaration by Slawomir Mentzen of far-right coalition Konfederacja, asserting he would oppose Ukraine's entry into NATO and would not allow Polish soldiers to be sent to Ukraine. <\/p>\n<p>During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Nawrocki accused him of being ungrateful to Poland.<\/p>\n<h2>Nawrocki and Tusk at loggerheads<\/h2>\n<p>Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Thursday relations with Nawrocki are difficult, although through no fault of his own. The main disputes concern security issues, including energy, and Polish diplomacy and foreign policy, Tusk stated.<\/p>\n<p>These issues should not be \"the subject of incessant quarrelling or spite-making,\" he added.<\/p>\n<p>Foreign Minister Rados\u0142aw Sikorski is set to meet with Nawrocki on 26 January to \"explain to him\" Poland's constitutional rules, Tusk said. <\/p>\n<p>\"I hope these arguments will finally make some kind of impression and that the long-awaited appointments of Polish diplomats to full ambassadorial posts will take place.\"<\/p>\n<p>Backed by the conservative Law and Justice or PiS party, Nawrocki won Poland's presidential election on 1 June 2025, defeating Warsaw Mayor Rafa\u0142 Trzaskowski with 50.89% of the vote. He took office on 6 August 2025.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1768574338,"updatedAt":1768576361,"publishedAt":1768576358,"firstPublishedAt":1768576358,"lastPublishedAt":1768576358,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/56\/47\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5b9c0793-0108-5090-baf3-e79a88d70690-9615647.jpg","altText":"FILE: Poland President Karol Nawrocki speaks to the media following a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at Downing Street in London, 13 January 2026","caption":"FILE: Poland President Karol Nawrocki speaks to the media following a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at Downing Street in London, 13 January 2026","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1619,"height":910}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3280,"urlSafeValue":"kubacka","title":"Katarzyna 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News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"pl","storyId":9615535,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2026\/01\/16\/polish-president-slams-eu-as-a-fading-star-while-warning-of-russian-imperialism","lastModified":1768576358},{"id":2862420,"cid":9614213,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"TUSK: ENERGY ATTACKS REPPELED ","daletPyramidId":3893148,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Poland's PM praises cyber defences after attempted attack on energy infrastructure foiled","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Poland's PM praises cyber defences after attack on heating grid foiled","titleListing2":"Poland's PM Tusk praises cyber defences after attempted attack on energy infrastructure foiled","leadin":"Tusk blamed Russia and urged Parliament to swiftly pass new cybersecurity legislation to strengthen protection against foreign interference.","summary":"Tusk blamed Russia and urged Parliament to swiftly pass new cybersecurity legislation to strengthen protection against foreign interference.","keySentence":"","url":"polands-pm-praises-cyber-defences-after-attempted-attack-on-energy-infrastructure-foiled","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/01\/15\/polands-pm-praises-cyber-defences-after-attempted-attack-on-energy-infrastructure-foiled","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised the country's intelligence services on Thursday for foiling an attempted cyberattack on energy infrastructure that could have left up to half a million consumers without heating during Poland's bitter winter.\n\nSpeaking after meeting with energy officials and security agencies in Warsaw, Tusk said Poland had successfully defended itself and that critical infrastructure was not compromised.\n\nThe attempted attack targeted two combined heat and power plants and wind farms and happened in December 2025.\n\nTusk blamed Russia and urged the Polish parliament to swiftly pass new cybersecurity legislation to strengthen protection against foreign interference.\u00a0\u00a0\n\nPoland's Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said Poland came very close to a blackout and called the cyberattack one of the most serious in recent years.\n\n\"Digital tanks are already here,\" he said on RMF FM radio, emphasising that modern warfare is being waged in cyberspace.\n\nWho was behind the cyberattacks?\n\nTusk said that so far there is no definitive evidence to identify the perpetrators, but he did say that much of what has been gathered points to the involvement of groups connected to the Russian security services.\n\nHe said that as in earlier attempted cyberattacks on Polish infrastructure, the key was early detection and robust response mechanisms.\n\nEuropean allies of Ukraine said in December that Russia is waging a campaign of \"hybrid warfare\" through sabotage, assassinations, cyberattacks and disinformation to sow division in Western societies and undermine support for Ukraine.\n\nThat comes after a series of incidents in countries such as France, Denmark and Sweden, in which critical infrastructure has been targeted.\n\nEuropean intelligence agencies say investigations into Russian interference now consume as much time as terrorist threats.\n\nA coordinated international operation has hit the infrastructure of a pro-Russian cybercrime network linked to a string of denial of service attacks targeting Ukraine and its allies, the European Union's police agency Europol said in July.\n\nCodenamed Eastwood, the operation targeted the so-called NoName057(16) group, which Dutch authorities identified last month as behind a series of denial-of-service attacks on several municipalities and organisations linked to a NATO summit in the Netherlands.\n\nEuropol said that the cybercrime network was also involved in attacks in Germany and Switzerland.\n\nPoland's readiness for similar threats\n\nIn recent years, attacks on critical infrastructure have become increasingly sophisticated and dangerous, making cybersecurity in the energy sector crucial to Poland's security.\n\nAs Dorota Kwa\u015bniewska, an editor at the Defence24 portal told Euronews, effective protection requires not only technology but also cooperation between the public and private sectors.\n\n\"In response to growing threats, we need to prioritise the development of safeguards. Attacks are taking ever-new forms so we too must move with the times and strengthen our defences,\" she said.\n\nKwa\u015bniewska pointed out that Poland's cyberdefence systems functioned correctly during December's attempted attack on power plants.\n\n\"The cybersecurity system for energy infrastructure worked effectively during the December attacks,\" she said.\n\n\"At the same time, as far as is known, the government has announced measures to strengthen resilience to further attacks, including investments in safeguards, system modernisation and improved legislation.\"\n\nKwa\u015bniewska noted that in such cyberattacks much depends on how they are conducted and on the resilience of defence systems.\n\n\"In December 2015, Ukraine became the first country in the world in which a cyberattack led to a physical blackout. Hacker groups linked to Russia carried out a coordinated attack on energy system operators, using the BlackEnergy and KillDisk malware,\" Kwa\u015bniewska explained.\n\n\"The attackers took remote control of SCADA systems, switched off electrical substations and simultaneously paralysed customer service centres. As a result, around 230,000 consumers were left without power for up to several hours.\"\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised the country's intelligence services on Thursday for foiling an attempted cyberattack on energy infrastructure that could have left up to half a million consumers without heating during Poland's bitter winter. <\/p>\n<p>Speaking after meeting with energy officials and security agencies in Warsaw, Tusk said Poland had successfully defended itself and that critical infrastructure was not compromised. <\/p>\n<p>The attempted attack targeted two combined heat and power plants and wind farms and happened in December 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Tusk blamed Russia and urged the Polish parliament to swiftly pass new cybersecurity legislation to strengthen protection against foreign interference. <\/p>\n<p>Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said Poland came very close to a blackout and called the cyberattack one of the most serious in recent years. <\/p>\n<p>\"Digital tanks are already here,\" he said on RMF FM radio, emphasising that modern warfare is being waged in cyberspace.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//61//42//13//808x539_cmsv2_c0f2e2a9-d3e8-505d-85a9-367f2a66a465-9614213.jpg/" alt=\"Poland&#x27;s Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks with the media as he arrives for the EU Summit in Brussels, 18 December, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/384x256_cmsv2_c0f2e2a9-d3e8-505d-85a9-367f2a66a465-9614213.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/640x427_cmsv2_c0f2e2a9-d3e8-505d-85a9-367f2a66a465-9614213.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/750x500_cmsv2_c0f2e2a9-d3e8-505d-85a9-367f2a66a465-9614213.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/828x552_cmsv2_c0f2e2a9-d3e8-505d-85a9-367f2a66a465-9614213.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/1080x720_cmsv2_c0f2e2a9-d3e8-505d-85a9-367f2a66a465-9614213.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/1200x800_cmsv2_c0f2e2a9-d3e8-505d-85a9-367f2a66a465-9614213.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/1920x1280_cmsv2_c0f2e2a9-d3e8-505d-85a9-367f2a66a465-9614213.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Poland&#x27;s Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks with the media as he arrives for the EU Summit in Brussels, 18 December, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>Who was behind the cyberattacks?<\/h2>\n<p>Tusk said that so far there is no definitive evidence to identify the perpetrators, but he did say that much of what has been gathered points to the involvement of groups connected to the Russian security services. <\/p>\n<p>He said that as in earlier attempted cyberattacks on Polish infrastructure, the key was early detection and robust response mechanisms.<\/p>\n<p>European allies of Ukraine said in December that Russia is waging a campaign of \"hybrid warfare\" through sabotage, assassinations, cyberattacks and disinformation to sow division in Western societies and undermine support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//19//16//74//808x539_cmsv2_2fc07f4d-573a-5400-ad00-ccd357d5fb8d-9191674.jpg/" alt=\"The exterior of the European police agency Europol headquarters in The Hague, 2 December, 2016\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/19\/16\/74\/384x256_cmsv2_2fc07f4d-573a-5400-ad00-ccd357d5fb8d-9191674.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/19\/16\/74\/640x427_cmsv2_2fc07f4d-573a-5400-ad00-ccd357d5fb8d-9191674.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/19\/16\/74\/750x500_cmsv2_2fc07f4d-573a-5400-ad00-ccd357d5fb8d-9191674.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/19\/16\/74\/828x552_cmsv2_2fc07f4d-573a-5400-ad00-ccd357d5fb8d-9191674.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/19\/16\/74\/1080x720_cmsv2_2fc07f4d-573a-5400-ad00-ccd357d5fb8d-9191674.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/19\/16\/74\/1200x800_cmsv2_2fc07f4d-573a-5400-ad00-ccd357d5fb8d-9191674.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/19\/16\/74\/1920x1280_cmsv2_2fc07f4d-573a-5400-ad00-ccd357d5fb8d-9191674.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The exterior of the European police agency Europol headquarters in The Hague, 2 December, 2016<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>That comes after a series of incidents in countries such as France, Denmark and Sweden, in which critical infrastructure has been targeted.<\/p>\n<p>European intelligence agencies say investigations into Russian interference now consume as much time as terrorist threats.<\/p>\n<p>A coordinated international operation has hit the infrastructure of a pro-Russian cybercrime network linked to a string of denial of service attacks targeting Ukraine and its allies, the European Union's police agency Europol said in July.<\/p>\n<p>Codenamed Eastwood, the operation targeted the so-called NoName057(16) group, which Dutch authorities identified last month as behind a series of denial-of-service attacks on several municipalities and organisations linked to a NATO summit in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n<p>Europol said that the cybercrime network was also involved in attacks in Germany and Switzerland.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//12//24//pro-russian-hackers-claim-french-postal-service-cyberattack/">Pro-Russian hackers claim French postal service cyberattack<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//12//19//denmark-blames-russia-for-cyberattacks-on-water-utility-and-election-websites/">Denmark blames Russia for cyberattacks on water utility and election websites<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>Poland's readiness for similar threats<\/h2>\n<p>In recent years, attacks on critical infrastructure have become increasingly sophisticated and dangerous, making cybersecurity in the energy sector crucial to Poland's security. <\/p>\n<p>As Dorota Kwa\u015bniewska, an editor at the Defence24 portal told Euronews, effective protection requires not only technology but also cooperation between the public and private sectors.<\/p>\n<p>\"In response to growing threats, we need to prioritise the development of safeguards. Attacks are taking ever-new forms so we too must move with the times and strengthen our defences,\" she said.<\/p>\n<p>Kwa\u015bniewska pointed out that Poland's cyberdefence systems functioned correctly during December's attempted attack on power plants.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.633\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//61//42//13//808x511_cmsv2_bf29598e-268f-53d2-aca7-32811b156941-9614213.jpg/" alt=\"A woman uses an umbrella for protection against falling snow in Warsaw, 8 February, 2021 \" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/384x243_cmsv2_bf29598e-268f-53d2-aca7-32811b156941-9614213.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/640x405_cmsv2_bf29598e-268f-53d2-aca7-32811b156941-9614213.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/750x475_cmsv2_bf29598e-268f-53d2-aca7-32811b156941-9614213.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/828x524_cmsv2_bf29598e-268f-53d2-aca7-32811b156941-9614213.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/1080x684_cmsv2_bf29598e-268f-53d2-aca7-32811b156941-9614213.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/1200x760_cmsv2_bf29598e-268f-53d2-aca7-32811b156941-9614213.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/1920x1215_cmsv2_bf29598e-268f-53d2-aca7-32811b156941-9614213.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A woman uses an umbrella for protection against falling snow in Warsaw, 8 February, 2021 <\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\"The cybersecurity system for energy infrastructure worked effectively during the December attacks,\" she said. <\/p>\n<p>\"At the same time, as far as is known, the government has announced measures to strengthen resilience to further attacks, including investments in safeguards, system modernisation and improved legislation.\"<\/p>\n<p>Kwa\u015bniewska noted that in such cyberattacks much depends on how they are conducted and on the resilience of defence systems.<\/p>\n<p>\"In December 2015, Ukraine became the first country in the world in which a cyberattack led to a physical blackout. Hacker groups linked to Russia carried out a coordinated attack on energy system operators, using the BlackEnergy and KillDisk malware,\" Kwa\u015bniewska explained. <\/p>\n<p>\"The attackers took remote control of SCADA systems, switched off electrical substations and simultaneously paralysed customer service centres. As a result, around 230,000 consumers were left without power for up to several hours.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1768486461,"updatedAt":1768490976,"publishedAt":1768490971,"firstPublishedAt":1768490971,"lastPublishedAt":1768490971,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_4e6d02b7-7c34-56b6-9ba5-572b0bd784de-9614213.jpg","altText":"A solider watches code lines on his computer at the International Cybersecurity forum in Lille, 23 January, 2018","caption":"A solider watches code lines on his computer at the International Cybersecurity forum in Lille, 23 January, 2018","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1700,"height":956},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_bf29598e-268f-53d2-aca7-32811b156941-9614213.jpg","altText":"A woman uses an umbrella for protection against falling snow in Warsaw, 8 February, 2021 ","caption":"A woman uses an umbrella for protection against falling snow in Warsaw, 8 February, 2021 ","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1266},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/61\/42\/13\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c0f2e2a9-d3e8-505d-85a9-367f2a66a465-9614213.jpg","altText":"Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks with the media as he arrives for the EU Summit in Brussels, 18 December, 2025","caption":"Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks with the media as he arrives for the EU Summit in Brussels, 18 December, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/19\/16\/74\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_2fc07f4d-573a-5400-ad00-ccd357d5fb8d-9191674.jpg","altText":"The exterior of the European police agency Europol headquarters in The Hague, 2 December, 2016","caption":"The exterior of the European police agency Europol headquarters in The Hague, 2 December, 2016","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3532,"urlSafeValue":"agata.todorow@ext.euronews.com","title":"Agata 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HUNGARY ASYLUM","daletPyramidId":3853338,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Poland's former justice minister granted asylum in Hungary amid abuse of power charges","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Polish ex-minister facing prosecution granted asylum in Hungary","titleListing2":"Poland's former justice minister granted asylum in Hungary amid abuse of power charges","leadin":"Ziobro is considered the architect of judicial reforms that sparked a standoff between Poland and the EU over rule of law concerns.","summary":"Ziobro is considered the architect of judicial reforms that sparked a standoff between Poland and the EU over rule of law concerns.","keySentence":"","url":"polands-former-justice-minister-granted-asylum-in-hungary-amid-abuse-of-power-charges","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/01\/12\/polands-former-justice-minister-granted-asylum-in-hungary-amid-abuse-of-power-charges","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland's former justice minister facing prosecution over alleged abuse of power, announced Monday he has been granted asylum in Hungary.\n\nZiobro was a key figure in the government led by the conservative Law and Justice or PiS party that ruled Poland between 2015 and 2023.\n\nThe administration established control over key judicial institutions through appointments to higher courts and disciplinary measures against judges, according to critics who described these actions as politically motivated.\n\nProsecutors requested the lifting of Ziobro's parliamentary immunity in October to press charges against him.\n\nThey allege Ziobro misused a fund for victims of violence, including for purchase of Israeli Pegasus surveillance software. He faces up to 25 years in prison on 26 charges.\n\nThe party of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk alleges PiS used Pegasus to spy on political opponents while in power. Ziobro says he acted lawfully.\n\nIn a lengthy post on X Monday, Ziobro wrote he had \"decided to accept the asylum granted to me by the government of Hungary due to the political persecution in Poland.\"\n\n\"I have decided to remain abroad until genuine guarantees of the rule of law are restored in Poland,\" he said. \"I believe that instead of acquiescing to being silenced and subjected to a torrent of lies - which I would have no opportunity to refute - I can do more by fighting the mounting lawlessness in Poland.\"\n\nHungarian Foreign Minister P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 said in Budapest on Monday that Hungarian authorities have granted asylum to \"several\" individuals who would face political persecution in Poland, according to his ministry. He declined to specify their names.\n\nBudapest has hosted several politicians close to PiS while Polish authorities were seeking them.\n\nIn an English-language post on X, Tusk wrote the \"former Minister of Justice(!), Mr. Ziobro, who was the mastermind of the political corruption system, has asked the government of Victor Orb\u00e1n for political asylum.\" \"A logical choice,\" he added.\n\nThere is no mechanism for nationals of EU countries to seek asylum in other EU countries.\n\nBrussels' official position is that each country respects the rights of nationals in the same way, so any citizen should be safe in any EU country, except in very limited circumstances.\n\nZiobro is considered the architect of judicial reforms that sparked a standoff between Poland and the EU over rule of law concerns.\n\nDeputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk told Polsat broadcaster Ziobro \"will not go unpunished,\" adding, \"No politician is above the law.\"\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland's former justice minister facing prosecution over alleged abuse of power, announced Monday he has been granted asylum in Hungary.<\/p>\n<p>Ziobro was a key figure in the government led by the conservative Law and Justice or PiS party that ruled Poland between 2015 and 2023.<\/p>\n<p>The administration established control over key judicial institutions through appointments to higher courts and disciplinary measures against judges, according to critics who described these actions as politically motivated.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors requested the lifting of Ziobro's parliamentary immunity in October to press charges against him. <\/p>\n<p>They allege Ziobro misused a fund for victims of violence, including for purchase of Israeli Pegasus surveillance software. He faces up to 25 years in prison on 26 charges.<\/p>\n<p>The party of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk alleges PiS used Pegasus to spy on political opponents while in power. Ziobro says he acted lawfully.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.595\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//60//97//21//808x481_cmsv2_12d4655a-1e17-5841-9a01-f944169472da-9609721.jpg/" alt=\"Protesters demand the dismissal of Zbigniew Ziobro following revelations that his deputy encouraged online hate against judges who criticise the government, 26 August, 2019\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/60\/97\/21\/384x228_cmsv2_12d4655a-1e17-5841-9a01-f944169472da-9609721.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/60\/97\/21\/640x381_cmsv2_12d4655a-1e17-5841-9a01-f944169472da-9609721.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/60\/97\/21\/750x446_cmsv2_12d4655a-1e17-5841-9a01-f944169472da-9609721.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/60\/97\/21\/828x493_cmsv2_12d4655a-1e17-5841-9a01-f944169472da-9609721.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/60\/97\/21\/1080x643_cmsv2_12d4655a-1e17-5841-9a01-f944169472da-9609721.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/60\/97\/21\/1200x714_cmsv2_12d4655a-1e17-5841-9a01-f944169472da-9609721.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/60\/97\/21\/1920x1142_cmsv2_12d4655a-1e17-5841-9a01-f944169472da-9609721.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Protesters demand the dismissal of Zbigniew Ziobro following revelations that his deputy encouraged online hate against judges who criticise the government, 26 August, 2019<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>In a lengthy post on X Monday, Ziobro wrote he had \"decided to accept the asylum granted to me by the government of Hungary due to the political persecution in Poland.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"I have decided to remain abroad until genuine guarantees of the rule of law are restored in Poland,\" he said. \"I believe that instead of acquiescing to being silenced and subjected to a torrent of lies - which I would have no opportunity to refute - I can do more by fighting the mounting lawlessness in Poland.\"<\/p>\n<p>Hungarian Foreign Minister P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 said in Budapest on Monday that Hungarian authorities have granted asylum to \"several\" individuals who would face political persecution in Poland, according to his ministry. He declined to specify their names.<\/p>\n<p>Budapest has hosted several politicians close to PiS while Polish authorities were seeking them.<\/p>\n<p>In an English-language post on X, Tusk wrote the \"former Minister of Justice(!), Mr. Ziobro, who was the mastermind of the political corruption system, has asked the government of Victor Orb\u00e1n for political asylum.\" \"A logical choice,\" he added.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"2010687551191822390\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>There is no mechanism for nationals of EU countries to seek asylum in other EU countries. <\/p>\n<p>Brussels' official position is that each country respects the rights of nationals in the same way, so any citizen should be safe in any EU country, except in very limited circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>Ziobro is considered the architect of judicial reforms that sparked a standoff between Poland and the EU over rule of law concerns.<\/p>\n<p>Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk told Polsat broadcaster Ziobro \"will not go unpunished,\" adding, \"No politician is above the law.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1768210096,"updatedAt":1768239876,"publishedAt":1768233033,"firstPublishedAt":1768233033,"lastPublishedAt":1768233033,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/60\/97\/21\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d103d637-be86-55bb-871b-d52ead86cbea-9609721.jpg","altText":"Former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro speaks to reporters in Warsaw, 26 September, 2020","caption":"Former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro speaks to reporters in Warsaw, 26 September, 2020","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1420,"height":798},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/60\/97\/21\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_12d4655a-1e17-5841-9a01-f944169472da-9609721.jpg","altText":"Protesters demand the dismissal of Zbigniew Ziobro following revelations that his deputy encouraged online hate against judges who criticise the government, 26 August, 2019","caption":"Protesters demand the dismissal of Zbigniew Ziobro following revelations that his deputy encouraged online hate against judges who criticise the government, 26 August, 2019","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1190},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/60\/97\/21\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ae8b0008-4d10-5de3-aab7-ebcf93835b08-9609721.jpg","altText":"Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n speaks with the media as he arrives for the EU Summit in Brussels, 18 December, 2025","caption":"Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n speaks with the media as he arrives for the EU Summit in Brussels, 18 December, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3280,"urlSafeValue":"kubacka","title":"Katarzyna Kubacka","twitter":null},{"id":2972,"urlSafeValue":"blackburn","title":"Gavin Blackburn","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":230,"slug":"poland","urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","titleRaw":"Poland"},{"id":143,"slug":"hungary","urlSafeValue":"hungary","title":"Hungary","titleRaw":"Hungary"},{"id":4759,"slug":"donald-tusk","urlSafeValue":"donald-tusk","title":"Donald Tusk","titleRaw":"Donald Tusk"},{"id":10409,"slug":"viktor-orban","urlSafeValue":"viktor-orban","title":"Viktor Orb\u00e1n","titleRaw":"Viktor Orb\u00e1n"},{"id":10635,"slug":"polish-politics","urlSafeValue":"polish-politics","title":"Polish politics","titleRaw":"Polish politics"},{"id":4988,"slug":"corruption","urlSafeValue":"corruption","title":"Corruption","titleRaw":"Corruption"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1},{"slug":"twitter","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2860922},{"id":2857767},{"id":2856922}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"V7QbEJTIMos","dailymotionId":"x9xmhqy"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":55640,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11164190,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/33\/70\/31\/04\/ED_PYR_3370314_20260112174437.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":55640,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":15343733,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/33\/70\/31\/04\/SHD_PYR_3370314_20260112174437.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"},{"duration":55640,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":45572409,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/33\/70\/31\/04\/FHD_PYR_3370314_20260112174437.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"1080p"}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"AP, AFP","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":{"id":2211,"urlSafeValue":"warsaw","title":"Warsaw"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"en","storyId":9609721,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2026\/01\/12\/polands-former-justice-minister-granted-asylum-in-hungary-amid-abuse-of-power-charges","lastModified":1768233033},{"id":2860922,"cid":9607745,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NEXT POLAND SOCIAL MEDIA","daletPyramidId":3835651,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"TikTok removes Polish far-right leader\u2019s videos after antisemitism complaints in rare move","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"TikTok pulls Polish far-right leaders videos over antisemitism","titleListing2":"TikTok removes Polish far-right leader\u2019s videos after antisemitism complaints in rare move","leadin":"One of the videos removed from the platform showed Polish politician Grzegorz Braun denying the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz, one of the largest German concentration camps during World War II.","summary":"One of the videos removed from the platform showed Polish politician Grzegorz Braun denying the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz, one of the largest German concentration camps during World War II.","keySentence":"","url":"tiktok-removes-polish-far-right-leaders-videos-after-antisemitism-complaints-in-rare-move","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2026\/01\/09\/tiktok-removes-polish-far-right-leaders-videos-after-antisemitism-complaints-in-rare-move","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Social media platform TikTok has reportedly removed six videos from the far-right Polish leader Grzegorz Braun, including one related to an attack on a Jewish celebration.\n\nPolish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported that one of the six removed videos shows a lit seven-branched candlestick that was doused with a stream of water from a fire extinguisher by someone who resembled Braun\u2019s figure. The video also had the slogan, \u201cif you\u2019re afraid, you\u2019re already a slave.\u201d\n\nAnother video removed from the platform showed Braun denying the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz, one of the largest German concentration camps during World War II, located in Nazi-occupied Poland. Over one million people were killed at the concentration camp, and most are believed to be Jewish.\n\nBraun finished fourth in Poland\u2019s national election last year with 6.3 percent of the vote. In a December poll, his party saw support rise to 11 percent, according to local media.\n\nRzeczpospolita wrote that Braun's TikTok videos were removed after a complaint launched by the Never Again Association, an organisation that fights anti-semitism in Poland. The group did not immediately respond to Euronews Next\u2019s request for comment.\u00a0\n\nIn a video posted to TikTok called \u201cAnother ban,\u201d Braun said he was being punished for sharing \"pro-Polish\" content.\n\nThe screenshot shared in the video appears to be from Braun\u2019s TikTok account, which displays a message saying that his account is banned from the For You Page (FYP) recommendations and from his followers\u2019 feeds until April 6 for \u201crepeated policy violations.\u201d.\n\n\u201cAdditional violations may result in this period being extended,\u201d the screenshot reads.\n\nEuronews Next reached out to TikTok to confirm Braun\u2019s suspension from the platform and the removal of his videos, but did not receive an immediate reply.\n\nTikTok is among a list of social media platforms, including X, Meta\u2019s Facebook and Instagram, and Google\u2019s YouTube, which signed an EU pledge to fight hate speech.\u00a0\n\nThe latest numbers from TikTok show the company removed 27.8 million pieces of content that violated its community guidelines, which includes hate speech.\u00a0\n\nWhat other political content has been removed from social media?\n\nThere are few cases where social media platforms take action to remove videos or posts written by political leaders or groups in Europe.\n\nIn 2022, Janusz Ciezy\u0144ski, Poland\u2019s former minister of digital affairs, said that Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, was planning to remove a page for the far-right party Confederation (Konfederacja), which was co-founded by Braun.\n\nAt the time, the political party had over 670,000 followers, which local media said was more than any other Polish political party.\n\nCiezy\u0144ski said in the comments that the page was accused of \u201cbreaking the rules regarding COVID[-19] information.\u201d At the time of writing, the page is back on Facebook and has over one million followers.\n\nIn 2018, Facebook said it would permanently ban Generation Identity, a youth branch of France\u2019s nationalist movement Identitarians, from its platform. The group, which is centred on the preservation of white European identity, has since been dissolved.\n\nIn May 2025, two identitarian politicians, the Dutch Dries Van Langenhove and Austria\u2019s Martin Sellner, claimed that Meta removed \u201cnearly all Identitarian Instagram pages,\u201d and others that supported Germany\u2019s Alternative For Germany (AfD) pages \u201cin a single blow.\u201d\n\n\u201c[US vice-president] JD Vance was rightfully worried about European \u2018leaders\u2019 taking away our freedom of speech, but why is an American company helping them?,\u201d Langenhove wrote at the time.\u00a0\n\nSince US President Donald Trump took office last year, Meta has rolled back its content moderation programmes. After the decision, CEO Mark Zuckerberg called out the European Union's \"increasing number of laws institutionalising censorship and making it difficult to build anything innovative there.\"\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Social media platform TikTok has reportedly removed six videos from the far-right Polish leader Grzegorz Braun, including one related to an attack on a Jewish celebration.<\/p>\n<p>Polish newspaper<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.rp.pl//polityka//art43593291-klopoty-brauna-na-tiktoku-platforma-usuwa-tresci-europosla?fbclid=IwY2xjawPNwihleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETA0dVIxNTJqTG04eHZBc1Buc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHhrETUjik6Fs5JxAXAqSS9HQV3z3nU7ZseFveBSTXkaGQABTpWury40MDCPg%5Faem%5FJwLamj7uoY8cEXJn9YX1sg\%22 target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"> <\/a>Rzeczpospolita reported that one of the six removed videos shows a lit seven-branched candlestick that was doused with a stream of water from a fire extinguisher by someone who resembled Braun\u2019s figure. The video also had the slogan, \u201cif you\u2019re afraid, you\u2019re already a slave.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another video removed from the platform showed Braun denying the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz, one of the largest German concentration camps during World War II, located in Nazi-occupied Poland. Over one million people were<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.auschwitz.org//en//history//auschwitz-and-shoah//the-number-of-victims?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com\%22 target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"> <strong>killed<\/strong><\/a> at the concentration camp, and most are believed to be Jewish.<\/p>\n<p>Braun finished<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2025//05//22//why-did-nationalist-parties-do-so-well-in-the-first-round-of-polands-presidential-election/"> <strong>fourth<\/strong><\/a> in Poland\u2019s national election last year with 6.3 percent of the vote. In a December poll, his party saw support rise to 11 percent, according to local media. <\/p>\n<p>Rzeczpospolita wrote that Braun's TikTok videos were removed after a complaint launched by the Never Again Association, an organisation that fights anti-semitism in Poland. The group did not immediately respond to Euronews Next\u2019s request for comment. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//business//2025//12//19//tiktok-strikes-deal-to-keep-operating-in-the-us-after-months-of-uncertainty/">TikTok strikes deal to keep operating in the US after months of uncertainty<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>In a video posted to<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.tiktok.com//@grzegorzbraun_//photo//7593094489074453782/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"> <strong>TikTok<\/strong><\/a> called \u201cAnother ban,\u201d Braun said he was being punished for sharing \"pro-Polish\" content.<\/p>\n<p>The screenshot shared in the video appears to be from Braun\u2019s TikTok account, which displays a message saying that his account is banned from the For You Page (FYP) recommendations and from his followers\u2019 feeds until April 6 for \u201crepeated policy violations.\u201d. \u200b<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAdditional violations may result in this period being extended,\u201d the screenshot reads.<\/p>\n<p>Euronews Next reached out to TikTok to confirm Braun\u2019s suspension from the platform and the removal of his videos, but did not receive an immediate reply.<\/p>\n<p>TikTok is among a list of social media platforms, including X, Meta\u2019s Facebook and Instagram, and Google\u2019s YouTube, which signed an EU pledge to fight <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2025//01//20//eu-commission-formalises-big-tech-effort-to-counter-online-hate-speech/">hate speech<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>The latest numbers from TikTok show the company <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////newsroom.tiktok.com//digital-services-act-our-fifth-transparency-report-on-content-moderation-in-europe?lang=en-150\%22 target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong>removed 27.8 million pieces<\/strong> <\/a>of content that violated its community guidelines, which includes hate speech. <\/p>\n<h2>What other political content has been removed from social media?<\/h2>\n<p>There are few cases where social media platforms take action to remove videos or posts written by political leaders or groups in Europe.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, Janusz Ciezy\u0144ski, Poland\u2019s former minister of digital affairs, said that Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, was planning to remove a page for the far-right party Confederation (Konfederacja), which was co-founded by Braun.<\/p>\n<p>At the time, the political party had over 670,000 followers, which<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////notesfrompoland.com//2022//01//05//facebook-bans-polish-far-right-party-for-covid-disinformation-and-hate-speech//?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com\%22 target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"> <\/a>local media said was more than any other Polish political party.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2025//12//14//thousands-of-ai-videos-featuring-sexualised-minors-shared-on-tiktok-report-finds/">Thousands of AI videos featuring sexualised minors shared on TikTok, report finds<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Ciezy\u0144ski said in the comments that the page was accused of \u201cbreaking the rules regarding COVID[-19] information.\u201d At the time of writing, the page is back on Facebook and has over one million followers.<\/p>\n<p>In 2018, Facebook said it would permanently ban Generation Identity, a youth branch of France\u2019s nationalist movement Identitarians, from its platform. The group, which is centred on the preservation of white European identity, has since been<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2021//02//20//dozens-protest-dissolution-of-far-right-generation-identity-group-in-france/"> <strong>dissolved<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In May 2025, two identitarian politicians, the Dutch Dries Van<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////x.com//DVanLangenhove//status//1927351294211059795/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"> <strong>Langenhove<\/strong><\/a>and Austria\u2019s Martin Sellner,<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////x.com//Martin_Sellner//status//1927395061630657014?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw\%22 target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"> <strong>claimed<\/strong><\/a> that Meta removed \u201cnearly all Identitarian Instagram pages,\u201d and others that supported Germany\u2019s Alternative For Germany (AfD) pages \u201cin a single blow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[US vice-president] JD Vance was rightfully worried about European \u2018leaders\u2019 taking away our freedom of speech, but why is an American company helping them?,\u201d Langenhove wrote at the time. <\/p>\n<p>Since US President Donald Trump took office last year, Meta has rolled back its content moderation programmes. After the decision, CEO Mark Zuckerberg called out the European Union's \"increasing number of laws institutionalising censorship and making it difficult to build anything innovative there.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1767965675,"updatedAt":1767970093,"publishedAt":1767969163,"firstPublishedAt":1767969163,"lastPublishedAt":1767969163,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/60\/77\/45\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_04341cb5-1826-58f6-8a9f-7eacdf53c857-9607745.jpg","altText":"File- The TikTok logo is displayed n a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying the TikTok home screen, Oct. 14, 2022, in Boston.","caption":"File- The TikTok logo is displayed n a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying the TikTok home screen, Oct. 14, 2022, in Boston.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Michael Dwyer, File","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2860,"urlSafeValue":"desmarais","title":"Anna Desmarais","twitter":"anna_desmarais"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":12052,"slug":"social-media","urlSafeValue":"social-media","title":"Social Media","titleRaw":"Social 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News","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/tech-news\/tech-news"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"next","verticals":[{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"},"themes":[{"id":"tech-news","urlSafeValue":"tech-news","title":"Tech News","url":"\/next\/tech-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":40,"urlSafeValue":"tech-news","title":"Tech 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POLAND FARMERS HOLD NATIONWIDE PROTEST AGAINST MERCOSUR","daletPyramidId":3742442,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Polish farmers stage nationwide protests over EU\u2013Mercosur trade agreement","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":null,"titleListing2":"Polish farmers stage nationwide protests over EU\u2013Mercosur trade agreement","leadin":"Farmers across Poland held coordinated protests to voice concerns about the planned EU\u2013Mercosur trade deal and its potential impact on domestic agriculture.","summary":"Farmers across Poland held coordinated protests to voice concerns about the planned EU\u2013Mercosur trade deal and its potential impact on domestic agriculture.","keySentence":"","url":"polish-farmers-stage-nationwide-protests-over-eumercosur-trade-agreement","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/30\/polish-farmers-stage-nationwide-protests-over-eumercosur-trade-agreement","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Polish farmers staged nationwide protests at more than 180 locations, including roadside pickets and demonstrations outside public offices, to oppose the European Union\u2019s planned trade agreement with Mercosur countries.\n\nProtesters say the deal could lead to an influx of cheaper food from Latin America, which they fear would undermine Polish agricultural production and standards.\n\nFarmers are calling for greater financial support, simpler regulations and safeguards against excessive imports, warning the agreement could affect food prices and jobs across Europe.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Polish farmers staged nationwide protests at more than 180 locations, including roadside pickets and demonstrations outside public offices, to oppose the European Union\u2019s planned trade agreement with Mercosur countries. <\/p>\n<p>Protesters say the deal could lead to an influx of cheaper food from Latin America, which they fear would undermine Polish agricultural production and standards. <\/p>\n<p>Farmers are calling for greater financial support, simpler regulations and safeguards against excessive imports, warning the agreement could affect food prices and jobs across Europe.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1767119511,"updatedAt":1767121976,"publishedAt":1767121444,"firstPublishedAt":1767121444,"lastPublishedAt":1767121444,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/82\/02\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e26c09d5-251b-5119-9326-c21311558162-9598202.jpg","altText":"Tractors with Polish flags line up to block a road near the German border in Swiecko at Slubice, Poland, Tuesday, March 19, 2024","caption":"Tractors with Polish flags line up to block a road near the German border in Swiecko at Slubice, Poland, Tuesday, March 19, 2024","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":18298,"slug":"farmers","urlSafeValue":"farmers","title":"Farmers","titleRaw":"Farmers"},{"id":10829,"slug":"mercosur","urlSafeValue":"mercosur","title":"MERCOSUR","titleRaw":"MERCOSUR"},{"id":230,"slug":"poland","urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","titleRaw":"Poland"}],"widgets":[],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"t2id7AqNmGE","dailymotionId":"x9wqzh0"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11897746,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/32\/80\/52\/09\/ED_PYR_3280529_20251230183828.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":16705782,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/32\/80\/52\/09\/SHD_PYR_3280529_20251230183828.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":48612758,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/32\/80\/52\/09\/FHD_PYR_3280529_20251230183828.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"1080p"}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"No Comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/video\/2025\/12\/30\/polish-farmers-stage-nationwide-protests-over-eumercosur-trade-agreement","lastModified":1767121444},{"id":2858201,"cid":9597562,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"AI REGULATIONS NEEDED","daletPyramidId":3736159,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"AI-generated videos showing young and attractive women promote Poland's EU exit","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"AI-made videos using attractive young women promote Poland's EU exit","titleListing2":"AI-generated videos promoting Poland's EU exit appear on social media","leadin":"They are beautiful, eloquent \u2014 and do not exist. AI-generated girls from the 'Prawilne_Polki' profile called for Polexit and preached right-wing views. The TikTok account has been deleted, but disinformation and propaganda in Poland persist.","summary":"They are beautiful, eloquent \u2014 and do not exist. AI-generated girls from the 'Prawilne_Polki' profile called for Polexit and preached right-wing views. The TikTok account has been deleted, but disinformation and propaganda in Poland persist.","keySentence":"","url":"ai-generated-videos-showing-young-and-attractive-women-promote-polands-eu-exit","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/30\/ai-generated-videos-showing-young-and-attractive-women-promote-polands-eu-exit","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"AI-generated videos promoting Poland's exit from the European Union have appeared on Polish-language social media, featuring non-existent, attractive young women advocating for \"Polexit\".\n\nOne TikTok account called \"Prawilne Polki\" published content showing women dressed in T-shirts bearing Polish flags and patriotic symbols, European analytics collective Res Futura said. The content targeted audiences aged 15 to 25.\n\nThe videos featured statements including: \"I want Polexit because I want freedom of choice, even if it will be more expensive. I don't remember Poland before the European Union, but I feel it was more Polish then.\"\n\nAnother video stated: \"When I talk about Polexit, I hear: 'scaremongering', 'catastrophe', 'end of the world'. Always the same pattern. Zero conversation about who really decides for us and why. Maybe it's high time we started talking about it calmly.\"\n\nSome videos appeared authentic while others showed clear signs of artificial intelligence use, with desynchronised vision and audio.\n\n\"The recordings were actually generated using a generative artificial intelligence tool. They are not of good quality at all,\" Aleksandra W\u00f3jtowicz, senior analyst for new technologies and digitalisation at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, told Euronews.\n\n\"If you look at them for a while, you can see that the facial expressions are unclear, the phrases spoken by the characters in the recordings are not completely natural.\"\n\nThe \"Prawilne_Polki\" profile has been removed, but similar accounts may emerge, W\u00f3jtowicz said.\n\n\"For now, it is not clear who is behind the content. At the moment there are several groupings that run various campaigns with the help of artificial intelligence,\" said W\u00f3jtowicz, who has researched online disinformation for years.\n\n\"They often take place on YouTube, but also on TikTok.\"\n\n'Hydra effect' in motion\n\nSimilar content on YouTube imitates news services using synthetic voices or voices combined with generated faces, repeating pro-Russian narratives including claims that elections were rigged or Ukrainians are stealing, W\u00f3jtowicz said.\n\n\"From the research interviews I conducted, it appears that this AI mannerism, which for a large part is obvious, annoying, evident, for a certain audience is completely unnoticeable,\" W\u00f3jtowicz said.\n\nThe account was blocked after reports from organisations and individual users. W\u00f3jtowicz said TikTok may now better detect disinformation content about Poland potentially leaving the EU. When searching \"Polexit\", the platform displays a warning about disinformation.\n\n\"On TikTok it is quite typical that if such an action appears, there is a 'Hydra effect'. When these profiles are reported, several new ones may appear,\" W\u00f3jtowicz said.\n\n\"Now their creators know very well that this is inefficient, that it is not worth putting them up again when there is full interest in the phenomenon, because they will be deleted.\"\n\nW\u00f3jtowicz outlined two possible scenarios: either the operation tested reactions, or disinformation actors began creating accounts to launch a campaign that was quickly detected. \"Therefore, they will go underground and come back in the future.\"\n\nWhy young and beautiful women?\n\nThe content targeted young women specifically, W\u00f3jtowicz said.\n\n\"We have such a trend when it comes to the far right that young girls are targeted. And who better to appeal to young women if not other young women,\" she added.\n\n\"We are seeing phenomena on social media such as the tradwives movement, or traditional wives. There's a lot of this in the US, but it's making its way into Poland.\"\n\nDuring Poland's presidential campaign, numerous AI-generated videos persuaded women to vote for right-wing candidates S\u0142awomir Mentzen of Confederation or Karol Nawrocki, supported by Law and Justice or PiS party.\n\n\"This group is clearly very important, it can be a fundamental vector of political change. It is no coincidence that it was women who played such an important role in 2023,\" W\u00f3jtowicz said, referring to parliamentary elections in which PiS lost power after eight years.\n\n'You can always count on the Russians'\n\n\"Righteous Poles! Russians can always be counted on. They forgot to translate 'prawilne',\" Civic Platform MP, Jaros\u0142aw Urbaniak wrote, referencing the Russian word \"prawilnyj\" meaning \"proper\" or \"correct\".\n\nThe term is used in Polish prison slang to describe a respected prisoner or someone who follows community rules.\n\nIndependent web developer Radek Karbowski said the content demonstrated the need for AI regulation. He calculated that the \"Prawilne_Polki\" profile generated 200,000 impressions and nearly 20,000 likes within two weeks, a 10% ratio that affects content spread and drives algorithmic recommendations.\n\nThe TikTok channel was established in May 2023 and operated under a different name, likely belonging to an English-speaking user publishing entertainment content unrelated to Poland, according to Polish portal Kontakt24.pl.\n\nOn 13 December, the account underwent a major transformation, receiving the new name \"Prawilne_Polki\" with a description reading: \"Here speak beautiful Polish girls who speak straightforwardly, their own opinion. Patriotism, sovereignty and normality in one place. NO TO EUROCALCHOZ #polexit.\"\n\nThe takeover occurred when the account already had an established follower base. Three materials in the new style were published on 13 December: two videos with generated women and a graphic asking: \"If the election were tomorrow - which party is number one for the right?\"\n\nResearch conducted by UCE Research for Onet found that, in 2025, TikTok was the primary source of information about Poland's presidential election for 43.7% of respondents aged 18 to 25.\n\nA United Surveys poll by IBRiS for Wirtualna Polska dated 22 December showed 24.7% of respondents favoured Polexit, while 65.7% opposed it.\n\nA survey from early December conducted by French magazine Le Grand Continent showed 25% of Poles supported Polexit, while 69% opposed such a move.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>AI-generated videos promoting Poland's exit from the European Union have appeared on Polish-language social media, featuring non-existent, attractive young women advocating for \"Polexit\".<\/p>\n<p>One TikTok account called \"Prawilne Polki\" published content showing women dressed in T-shirts bearing Polish flags and patriotic symbols, European analytics collective Res Futura said. The content targeted audiences aged 15 to 25.<\/p>\n<p>The videos featured statements including: \"I want Polexit because I want freedom of choice, even if it will be more expensive. I don't remember Poland before the European Union, but I feel it was more Polish then.\"<\/p>\n<p>Another video stated: \"When I talk about Polexit, I hear: 'scaremongering', 'catastrophe', 'end of the world'. Always the same pattern. Zero conversation about who really decides for us and why. Maybe it's high time we started talking about it calmly.\"<\/p>\n<p>Some videos appeared authentic while others showed clear signs of artificial intelligence use, with desynchronised vision and audio.<\/p>\n<p>\"The recordings were actually generated using a generative artificial intelligence tool. They are not of good quality at all,\" Aleksandra W\u00f3jtowicz, senior analyst for new technologies and digitalisation at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, told Euronews. <\/p>\n<p>\"If you look at them for a while, you can see that the facial expressions are unclear, the phrases spoken by the characters in the recordings are not completely natural.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"2005200301805142037\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The \"Prawilne_Polki\" profile has been removed, but similar accounts may emerge, W\u00f3jtowicz said.<\/p>\n<p>\"For now, it is not clear who is behind the content. At the moment there are several groupings that run various campaigns with the help of artificial intelligence,\" said W\u00f3jtowicz, who has researched online disinformation for years.<\/p>\n<p>\"They often take place on YouTube, but also on TikTok.\" <\/p>\n<h2>'Hydra effect' in motion<\/h2>\n<p>Similar content on YouTube imitates news services using synthetic voices or voices combined with generated faces, repeating pro-Russian narratives including claims that elections were rigged or Ukrainians are stealing, W\u00f3jtowicz said.<\/p>\n<p>\"From the research interviews I conducted, it appears that this AI mannerism, which for a large part is obvious, annoying, evident, for a certain audience is completely unnoticeable,\" W\u00f3jtowicz said.<\/p>\n<p>The account was blocked after reports from organisations and individual users. W\u00f3jtowicz said TikTok may now better detect disinformation content about Poland potentially leaving the EU. When searching \"Polexit\", the platform displays a warning about disinformation.<\/p>\n<p>\"On TikTok it is quite typical that if such an action appears, there is a 'Hydra effect'. When these profiles are reported, several new ones may appear,\" W\u00f3jtowicz said. <\/p>\n<p>\"Now their creators know very well that this is inefficient, that it is not worth putting them up again when there is full interest in the phenomenon, because they will be deleted.\"<\/p>\n<p>W\u00f3jtowicz outlined two possible scenarios: either the operation tested reactions, or disinformation actors began creating accounts to launch a campaign that was quickly detected. \"Therefore, they will go underground and come back in the future.\"<\/p>\n<h2>Why young and beautiful women?<\/h2>\n<p>The content targeted young women specifically, W\u00f3jtowicz said.<\/p>\n<p>\"We have such a trend when it comes to the far right that young girls are targeted. And who better to appeal to young women if not other young women,\" she added.<\/p>\n<p>\"We are seeing phenomena on social media such as the tradwives movement, or traditional wives. There's a lot of this in the US, but it's making its way into Poland.\"<\/p>\n<p>During Poland's presidential campaign, numerous AI-generated videos persuaded women to vote for right-wing candidates S\u0142awomir Mentzen of Confederation or Karol Nawrocki, supported by Law and Justice or PiS party.<\/p>\n<p>\"This group is clearly very important, it can be a fundamental vector of political change. It is no coincidence that it was women who played such an important role in 2023,\" W\u00f3jtowicz said, referring to parliamentary elections in which PiS lost power after eight years.<\/p>\n<h2>'You can always count on the Russians'<\/h2>\n<p>\"Righteous Poles! Russians can always be counted on. They forgot to translate 'prawilne',\" Civic Platform MP, Jaros\u0142aw Urbaniak wrote, referencing the Russian word \"prawilnyj\" meaning \"proper\" or \"correct\". <\/p>\n<p>The term is used in Polish prison slang to describe a respected prisoner or someone who follows community rules.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"2005299070290854203\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Independent web developer Radek Karbowski said the content demonstrated the need for AI regulation. He calculated that the \"Prawilne_Polki\" profile generated 200,000 impressions and nearly 20,000 likes within two weeks, a 10% ratio that affects content spread and drives algorithmic recommendations.<\/p>\n<p>The TikTok channel was established in May 2023 and operated under a different name, likely belonging to an English-speaking user publishing entertainment content unrelated to Poland, according to Polish portal Kontakt24.pl.<\/p>\n<p>On 13 December, the account underwent a major transformation, receiving the new name \"Prawilne_Polki\" with a description reading: \"Here speak beautiful Polish girls who speak straightforwardly, their own opinion. Patriotism, sovereignty and normality in one place. NO TO EUROCALCHOZ #polexit.\"<\/p>\n<p>The takeover occurred when the account already had an established follower base. Three materials in the new style were published on 13 December: two videos with generated women and a graphic asking: \"If the election were tomorrow - which party is number one for the right?\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-freeform\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DS0gIvhjl4b\/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"> <div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.instagram.com//p//DS0gIvhjl4b//?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\%22 target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"> <svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewbox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"> <g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"> <g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"> <g> <path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path> <\/g> <\/g> <\/g> <\/svg> <\/div> <div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div> <\/div> <div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"> <div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div> <\/div> <div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div> <\/div> <div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div> <\/div> <\/a> <p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.instagram.com//p//DS0gIvhjl4b//?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\%22 target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Radek Karbowski (@radek.karbowski)<\/a> <\/p> <\/div> <\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"////www.instagram.com//embed.js/">/n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Research conducted by UCE Research for Onet found that, in 2025, TikTok was the primary source of information about Poland's presidential election for 43.7% of respondents aged 18 to 25.<\/p>\n<p>A United Surveys poll by IBRiS for Wirtualna Polska dated 22 December showed 24.7% of respondents favoured Polexit, while 65.7% opposed it.<\/p>\n<p>A survey from early December conducted by French magazine Le Grand Continent showed 25% of Poles supported Polexit, while 69% opposed such a move.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1767087963,"updatedAt":1767089515,"publishedAt":1767089394,"firstPublishedAt":1767089394,"lastPublishedAt":1767089515,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Prawilne Polki to konto na TikToku, kt\u00f3re publikowa\u0142o wygenerowane w AI wizerunki m\u0142odych dziewcz\u0105t. Te g\u0142osi\u0142y prawicowe tezy i nawo\u0142ywa\u0142y do Polexitu.","altText":"@century_crusade - TikTok","callToActionText":null,"width":965,"caption":"@century_crusade - TikTok","url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/68\/03\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f7517fb1-ba9e-59ca-b0f0-557f1bb6aff6-9596803.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":543}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"galka-reczko","twitter":"@Ola_Galka","id":3286,"title":"Aleksandra Galka Reczko"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"european-union","titleRaw":"European Union","id":105,"title":"European Union","slug":"european-union"},{"urlSafeValue":"new-technologies","titleRaw":"New technologies","id":9505,"title":"New technologies","slug":"new-technologies"},{"urlSafeValue":"artificial-intelligence","titleRaw":"Artificial intelligence","id":12661,"title":"Artificial intelligence","slug":"artificial-intelligence"},{"urlSafeValue":"disinformation","titleRaw":"disinformation","id":28330,"title":"disinformation","slug":"disinformation"}],"widgets":[{"count":2,"slug":"twitter"},{"count":1,"slug":"html"}],"related":[{"id":2848010},{"id":2853803},{"id":2856714}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"pl","storyId":9596803,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/30\/ai-generated-videos-showing-young-and-attractive-women-promote-polands-eu-exit","lastModified":1767089515},{"id":2857994,"cid":9596061,"versionId":3,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"ELBLAG FLOOD THREAT","daletPyramidId":3722380,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Polish city Elbl\u0105g declares flood alert as river exceeds warning level","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Polish city Elbl\u0105g declares flood alert as river exceeds warning level","titleListing2":"Polish city Elbl\u0105g declares flood alert as river exceeds warning level","leadin":"The mayor declared an alert after the water level exceeded the 590cm threshold, driven by winds that pushed the lagoon water upstream. Barriers were deployed, but no evacuations were undertaken on Saturday night.","summary":"The mayor declared an alert after the water level exceeded the 590cm threshold, driven by winds that pushed the lagoon water upstream. Barriers were deployed, but no evacuations were undertaken on Saturday night.","keySentence":"","url":"polish-city-of-elblag-placed-on-flood-threat-alert-after-rising-water-levels-of-river","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/28\/polish-city-of-elblag-placed-on-flood-threat-alert-after-rising-water-levels-of-river","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Polish authorities declared a flood alert in Elbl\u0105g on Saturday night after water levels in the Elbl\u0105g river exceeded the warning threshold of 590 centimetres and continued rising, Mayor Micha\u0142 Missan announced.\n\nThe rising levels were caused by a backwater effect, in which strong northwesterly winds pushed water from the Vistula lagoon upstream into the river, significantly increasing the risk of flooding in areas along the waterway.\n\nEmergency services deployed flood barriers in vulnerable areas as authorities monitored water levels at gauges in the Elbl\u0105g area, all of which exceeded warning thresholds.\n\nMissan said all services remained on standby whilst the hydrological situation was continuously monitored. He urged residents on social media to exercise caution.\n\nThe Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management issued alerts warning of strong winds across the region, which may persist for several hours. Forecasters also predicted icy conditions that could hamper rescue efforts.\n\nNo evacuation order or large-scale flooding has been declared, but the situation remained in flux. Local services said they would not rule out further intervention if weather conditions worsened.\n\nElbl\u0105g, located in northeastern Poland along the eponymous river, faces flood risks from its position between Druzno lake and the Vistula lagoon. The city lies within \u017bu\u0142awy Wi\u015blane, a Vistula river delta plain where substantial portions sit below sea level.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Polish authorities declared a flood alert in Elbl\u0105g on Saturday night after water levels in the Elbl\u0105g river exceeded the warning threshold of 590 centimetres and continued rising, Mayor Micha\u0142 Missan announced.<\/p>\n<p>The rising levels were caused by a backwater effect, in which strong northwesterly winds pushed water from the Vistula lagoon upstream into the river, significantly increasing the risk of flooding in areas along the waterway.<\/p>\n<p>Emergency services deployed flood barriers in vulnerable areas as authorities monitored water levels at gauges in the Elbl\u0105g area, all of which exceeded warning thresholds.<\/p>\n<p>Missan said all services remained on standby whilst the hydrological situation was continuously monitored. He urged residents on social media to exercise caution.<\/p>\n<p>The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management issued alerts warning of strong winds across the region, which may persist for several hours. Forecasters also predicted icy conditions that could hamper rescue efforts.<\/p>\n<p>No evacuation order or large-scale flooding has been declared, but the situation remained in flux. Local services said they would not rule out further intervention if weather conditions worsened.<\/p>\n<p>Elbl\u0105g, located in northeastern Poland along the eponymous river, faces flood risks from its position between Druzno lake and the Vistula lagoon. The city lies within \u017bu\u0142awy Wi\u015blane, a Vistula river delta plain where substantial portions sit below sea level.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1766928750,"updatedAt":1767007341,"publishedAt":1766953641,"firstPublishedAt":1766953641,"lastPublishedAt":1767007340,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Wikimedia Commons, Janusz J.","altText":"Elbl\u0105g is located on the river Elbl\u0105g","callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"caption":"Elbl\u0105g is located on the river Elbl\u0105g","url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/60\/24\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f9d9ab80-17af-55fb-9e6a-b0792986c26c-9596024.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1421}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"bolanowski","twitter":"@JBolanowski","id":3435,"title":"Jan Bolanowski"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"flood","titleRaw":"Floods","id":5052,"title":"Floods","slug":"flood"},{"urlSafeValue":"bad-weather","titleRaw":"Bad weather","id":13686,"title":"Bad weather","slug":"bad-weather"},{"urlSafeValue":"river","titleRaw":"river","id":17454,"title":"river","slug":"river"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2851319},{"id":2856899}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"urlSafeValue":"europe","id":104,"title":"Europe"},"country":{"urlSafeValue":"poland","id":230,"title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"pl","storyId":9596024,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/28\/polish-city-of-elblag-placed-on-flood-threat-alert-after-rising-water-levels-of-river","lastModified":1767007340},{"id":2857767,"cid":9595488,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"POLISH AIRFORCE OPERATION","daletPyramidId":3716504,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Poland scrambles fighter jets in the wake of Russian attacks on Ukraine","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Poland scrambles fighter jets for security drill","titleListing2":"Poland scrambles fighter jets for security drill in the wake of Russian attacks on Ukraine","leadin":"Civilian airports in Rzesz\u00f3w and Lublin were temporarily closed in the early hours of Saturday. After several hours, air traffic at both airports was resumed.","summary":"Civilian airports in Rzesz\u00f3w and Lublin were temporarily closed in the early hours of Saturday. After several hours, air traffic at both airports was resumed.","keySentence":"","url":"poland-scrambles-fighter-jets-in-the-wake-of-russian-attacks-on-ukraine","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/27\/poland-scrambles-fighter-jets-in-the-wake-of-russian-attacks-on-ukraine","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"During the night, Russian forces launched a massive attack on Ukraine, causing anti-aircraft alerts over its territory.\n\nIn response, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces scrambled Polish fighter jets and put air defence and radar systems on alert, stating that the measures were preventive in nature and served to protect Polish airspace.\n\n\"In connection with the activity of the long-range aviation of the Russian Federation, performing strikes on the territory of Ukraine, the operation of military aviation in the Polish airspace has begun\". - informed in a communiqu\u00e9 the Operational Command of the Armed Forces.\n\nDue to the military operations, airports in Rzesz\u00f3w and Lublin were temporarily closed in the early hours of Saturday but air traffic at both airports has now been resumed.\n\nAfter 8:00 a.m., the Command announced that the operations of Polish and allied aircraft had ended and that there had been no violation of Polish airspace.\n\nAllied forces - including US and Spanish aircraft and Dutch air defence systems - also took part in the operation.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>During the night, Russian forces launched a massive attack on Ukraine, causing anti-aircraft alerts over its territory.<\/p>\n<p>In response, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces scrambled Polish fighter jets and put air defence and radar systems on alert, stating that the measures were preventive in nature and served to protect Polish airspace.<\/p>\n<p>\"In connection with the activity of the long-range aviation of the Russian Federation, performing strikes on the territory of Ukraine, the operation of military aviation in the Polish airspace has begun\". - informed in a communiqu\u00e9 the Operational Command of the Armed Forces.<\/p>\n<p>Due to the military operations, airports in Rzesz\u00f3w and Lublin were temporarily closed in the early hours of Saturday but air traffic at both airports has now been resumed.<\/p>\n<p>After 8:00 a.m., the Command announced that the operations of Polish and allied aircraft had ended and that there had been no violation of Polish airspace.<\/p>\n<p>Allied forces - including US and Spanish aircraft and Dutch air defence systems - also took part in the operation.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1766824238,"updatedAt":1766829297,"publishedAt":1766829234,"firstPublishedAt":1766829234,"lastPublishedAt":1766829296,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"\tMindaugas Kulbis\/ AP","altText":"Poland has ramped up fighter jets in the wake of Russian attacks on Ukraine. Photo shows Polish F-16 fighter jets during manoeuvres in Lithuania in 2017.","callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"caption":"Poland has ramped up fighter jets in the wake of Russian attacks on Ukraine. Photo shows Polish F-16 fighter jets during manoeuvres in Lithuania in 2017.","url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/54\/57\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ee168ffb-fb4b-5711-930e-f7a4e3fe43a4-9595457.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1266}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"bolanowski","twitter":"@JBolanowski","id":3435,"title":"Jan Bolanowski"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"poland","titleRaw":"Poland","id":230,"title":"Poland","slug":"poland"},{"urlSafeValue":"army","titleRaw":"Army","id":4687,"title":"Army","slug":"army"},{"urlSafeValue":"war-in-ukraine","titleRaw":"War in Ukraine","id":26692,"title":"War in Ukraine","slug":"war-in-ukraine"},{"urlSafeValue":"air-force","titleRaw":"Air force","id":10487,"title":"Air force","slug":"air-force"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2856327},{"id":2857087},{"id":2857548}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"pl","storyId":9595457,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/27\/poland-scrambles-fighter-jets-in-the-wake-of-russian-attacks-on-ukraine","lastModified":1766829296},{"id":2856623,"cid":9595067,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"EUROPEANS CHOOSE POLAND FOR CHRISTMAS","daletPyramidId":3712350,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Go East! Poland now ranked among Europe's most popular holiday spots ","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"New report says Poland is the destination of choice for most Europeans","titleListing2":"Poland is enjoying growing interest from foreign tourists during this year's festive season. ","leadin":"Poland ranks high among Europeans' favourite destinations for short Christmas and New Year's Eve trips this year, according to Travel and Tour World (TTW), the industry leading global media platform. Its report highlights two Polish cities in particular.","summary":"Poland ranks high among Europeans' favourite destinations for short Christmas and New Year's Eve trips this year, according to Travel and Tour World (TTW), the industry leading global media platform. Its report highlights two Polish cities in particular.","keySentence":"","url":"go-east-poland-now-ranked-among-europes-most-popular-holiday-spots","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/2025\/12\/26\/go-east-poland-now-ranked-among-europes-most-popular-holiday-spots","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"There are several reasons that explain the growth of interest in Polish tourism. Some suggest it's the country's festive atmosphere, strongly rooted traditions and moderate prices that make that it attractive to both Christmas market lovers and tourists looking for an authentic experience.\n\nAt a time when travelling in Europe is becoming more and more expensive, Poland stands out as a competitively priced alternative without sacrificing quality. An additional advantage is the rich cuisine, loaded with traditional recipes.\n\nMore foreign guides and culinary sites are urging visitors to taste seasonal favourites such as pierogi (traditional Polish dumplings, typically filled with a variety of savory ingredients); barszcz z uszkami (more dumplings served in a dish which is a traditional Polish Christmas Eve soup) or makowiec (a Polish poppy seed cake, often served as a sweet treat during Christmas or other special occasions).\n\nAccording to data provided by Kiwi.com, the number of travel bookings to Poland has increased by more than 55 per cent over the year. It's estimated that figure will soon swell with the largest number of visitors expected to come from Spain, the UK, Italy and Romania, among others.\n\nInterestingly, the platform reports that Poland has become one of the key Christmas and New Year destinations for Romanian tourists. Compared to the previous year, the number of bookings to Polish cities during the festive period has increased as much as threefold in this country. From Bucharest, direct flights to Gda\u0144sk, Warsaw, Wroc\u0142aw and Krak\u00f3w are offered by Wizz Air. In addition, flights to Krakow are operated by Ryanair and to Warsaw by LOT.\n\nPoland is also popular among tourists from Sweden, Germany, Greece, France, Denmark and the Czech Republic, while a marked increase in interest has also been noted among travellers from Portugal, the Netherlands and Lithuania.\n\nA tale of two Polish cities\n\nAccording to TTW, Krakow and Warsaw are becoming more popular with foreign visitors. The authors of the report point out that they attract travellers thanks to, among other things, affordable ticket prices and - in the winter season - spectacular Christmas markets. The Travel and Tour World experts particularly emphasised the qualities of Krakow, which, in their opinion, stands out for its unique atmosphere and is regarded as one of the most atmospheric Christmas cities in Europe.\n\nLow prices and good flight connections\n\nPoland attracts foreign visitors not only with its affordable prices locally, but also with its favourable flight connections. Data from Kiwi.com shows that this year the average cost of an air ticket to Poland over the festive period was \u20ac123, \u20ac10 less than the year before. The biggest reductions - up to 23 per cent - were recorded for long-haul flights. Tourists are increasingly planning trips in advance, booking tickets on average 54 days before travel. At the same time, their stay in Poland will be shorter, lasting an average of six days, two days less than in 2024.\n\nThe trend for the coming years?\n\nThe rapid increase in the number of tourists shows that Poland has a real chance of becoming a permanent fixture in Europeans' winter travel plans. More and more people are becoming convinced that Christmas in Poland is not only about spectacular illuminations and traditional flavours, but also about exceptional hospitality and a unique atmosphere.\n\nAccording to experts, if this trend continues, Poland may provide heavyweight competition to popular destinations like Austria or Germany. For the hotel and catering sector, this means the signs are looking extremely positive for a good, prosperous and exceptionally successful season.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>There are several reasons that explain the growth of interest in Polish tourism. Some suggest it's the country's festive atmosphere, strongly rooted traditions and moderate prices that make that it attractive to both Christmas market lovers and tourists looking for an authentic experience. <\/p>\n<p>At a time when travelling in Europe is becoming more and more expensive, Poland stands out as a competitively priced alternative without sacrificing quality. An additional advantage is the rich cuisine, loaded with traditional recipes. <\/p>\n<p>More foreign guides and culinary sites are urging visitors to taste seasonal favourites such as pierogi (traditional Polish dumplings, typically filled with a variety of savory ingredients); barszcz z uszkami (more dumplings served in a dish which is a traditional Polish Christmas Eve soup) or makowiec (a Polish poppy seed cake, often served as a sweet treat during Christmas or other special occasions).<\/p>\n<p>According to data provided by Kiwi.com, the number of travel bookings to Poland has increased by more than 55 per centover the year. It's estimated that figure will soon swell with the largest number of visitors expected to come from Spain, the UK, Italy and Romania, among others.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//business//2025//12//22//how-poland-emerged-as-a-key-destination-for-turkish-capital/">How Poland emerged as a key destination for Turkish capital<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2025//12//23//this-mega-airport-in-poland-is-set-to-become-one-of-the-biggest-transport-hubs-in-europe/">This mega-airport in Poland is set to become one of the biggest transport hubs in Europe<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Interestingly, the platform reports that Poland has become one of the key Christmas and New Year destinations for Romanian tourists. Compared to the previous year, the number of bookings to Polish cities during the festive period has increased as much as threefold in this country. From Bucharest, direct flights to Gda\u0144sk, Warsaw, Wroc\u0142aw and Krak\u00f3w are offered by Wizz Air. In addition, flights to Krakow are operated by Ryanair and to Warsaw by LOT.<\/p>\n<p>Poland is also popular among tourists from Sweden, Germany, Greece, France, Denmark and the Czech Republic, while a marked increase in interest has also been noted among travellers from Portugal, the Netherlands and Lithuania.<\/p>\n<h2>A tale of two Polish cities<\/h2>\n<p>According to <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.travelandtourworld.com//news//article//poland-joins-france-georgia-slovenia-romania-san-marino-and-other-european-countries-as-christmas-booking-surges-outpacing-finland-hungary-lithuania///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\">TTW<\/a>, Krakow and Warsaw are becoming more popular with foreign visitors. The authors of the report point out that they attract travellers thanks to, among other things, affordable ticket prices and - in the winter season - spectacular Christmas markets. The Travel and Tour World experts particularly emphasised the qualities of Krakow, which, in their opinion, stands out for its unique atmosphere and is regarded as one of the most atmospheric Christmas cities in Europe.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-youtube-embed\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"auto widget__ratio widget__ratio--16x9\">\n <iframe type=\"text\/html\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.youtube.com//embed//quydpEwpZZ8/" width=\"100%\" loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen seamless>\n <\/iframe>\n <\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//59//11//18//808x539_cmsv2_c00e7b12-e000-5206-9ce2-97539fc97836-9591118.jpg/" alt=\"A general view of the Christmas market in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday 29 November 2025.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/11\/18\/384x256_cmsv2_c00e7b12-e000-5206-9ce2-97539fc97836-9591118.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/11\/18\/640x427_cmsv2_c00e7b12-e000-5206-9ce2-97539fc97836-9591118.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/11\/18\/750x500_cmsv2_c00e7b12-e000-5206-9ce2-97539fc97836-9591118.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/11\/18\/828x552_cmsv2_c00e7b12-e000-5206-9ce2-97539fc97836-9591118.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/11\/18\/1080x720_cmsv2_c00e7b12-e000-5206-9ce2-97539fc97836-9591118.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/11\/18\/1200x800_cmsv2_c00e7b12-e000-5206-9ce2-97539fc97836-9591118.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/11\/18\/1920x1280_cmsv2_c00e7b12-e000-5206-9ce2-97539fc97836-9591118.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">General view of the Christmas market in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday 29 November 2025.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Zdj&#x119;cie: AP\/Czarek Soko&#x142;owski<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>Low prices and good flight connections<\/h2>\n<p>Poland attracts foreign visitors not only with its affordable prices locally, but also with its favourable flight connections. Data from Kiwi.com shows that this year the average cost of an air ticket to Poland over the festive period was \u20ac123, \u20ac10 less than the year before. The biggest reductions - up to 23 per cent - were recorded for long-haul flights. Tourists are increasingly planning trips in advance, booking tickets on average 54 days before travel. At the same time, their stay in Poland will be shorter, lasting an average of six days, two days less than in 2024.<\/p>\n<h2>The trend for the coming years?<\/h2>\n<p>The rapid increase in the number of tourists shows that Poland has a real chance of becoming a permanent fixture in Europeans' winter travel plans. More and more people are becoming convinced that Christmas in Poland is not only about spectacular illuminations and traditional flavours, but also about exceptional hospitality and a unique atmosphere. <\/p>\n<p>According to experts, if this trend continues, Poland may provide heavyweight competition to popular destinations like Austria or Germany. For the hotel and catering sector, this means the signs are looking extremely positive for a good, prosperous and exceptionally successful season.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1766750950,"updatedAt":1766762496,"publishedAt":1766762475,"firstPublishedAt":1766762475,"lastPublishedAt":1766762475,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/11\/18\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_64586954-28a8-57f8-ba7f-67687f514a8a-9591118.jpg","altText":"A Christmas tree is festooned with lights during a ceremony at Castle Square in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, 3 December 2025.","caption":"A Christmas tree is festooned with lights during a ceremony at Castle Square in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, 3 December 2025.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Zdj\u0119cie: AP\/Czarek Soko\u0142owski","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3532,"urlSafeValue":"agata.todorow@ext.euronews.com","title":"Agata Todorow","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":4221,"slug":"tourism","urlSafeValue":"tourism","title":"Tourism","titleRaw":"Tourism"},{"id":29418,"slug":"festivita-natalizie","urlSafeValue":"festivita-natalizie","title":"Christmas holidays","titleRaw":"Christmas holidays"},{"id":230,"slug":"poland","urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","titleRaw":"Poland"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1},{"slug":"youtube","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2826538},{"id":2856409},{"id":2854967}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"travel-news","urlSafeValue":"travel-news","title":"Travel News","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/travel-news\/travel-news"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"travel","verticals":[{"id":7,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":7,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel"},"themes":[{"id":"travel-news","urlSafeValue":"travel-news","title":"Travel News","url":"\/travel\/travel-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":21,"urlSafeValue":"travel-news","title":"Travel News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"pl","storyId":9591118,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/travel\/2025\/12\/26\/go-east-poland-now-ranked-among-europes-most-popular-holiday-spots","lastModified":1766762475},{"id":2851507,"cid":9583682,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"ARTIST CELIA PAUL ITW","daletPyramidId":3610581,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Me, myself and I: Meet Celia Paul, the solitary self-portrait artist exposing herself in Warsaw","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Full disclosure: self-portrait artist Celia Paul opens up in Warsaw ","titleListing2":"Solitude standing: Self-portrait artist Celia Paul discusses the joys of silence, loving Lucian Freud and seeking spirituality ","leadin":"\"It feels like a crisis every time I pick up a brush and paint, it's life or death.\" There's no sense of exaggeration or drama when Celia Paul talks about her work but her paintings speak volumes about, tenderness, spirituality and the people she loves most.","summary":"\"It feels like a crisis every time I pick up a brush and paint, it's life or death.\" There's no sense of exaggeration or drama when Celia Paul talks about her work but her paintings speak volumes about, tenderness, spirituality and the people she loves most.","keySentence":"","url":"me-myself-and-i-meet-celia-paul-the-solitary-self-portrait-artist-exposing-herself-in-wars","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2025\/12\/25\/me-myself-and-i-meet-celia-paul-the-solitary-self-portrait-artist-exposing-herself-in-wars","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"British painter Celia Paul says doesn't go out very often. She prefers the familiarity of her central London studio. It also doubles as her home and is an essential fortress of solitude for someone who's constantly looking within herself.\n\nKnowing that made her recent visit to Poland even more special as she's one of several female artists being featured at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw as part of its latest exhibition entitled 'The Woman Question 1550\u20132025'.\n\nIn March 2025 the New York Review of Books published her essay 'Painting Myself', in which she explores the female gaze, identity construction through creativity and how women are perceived and represented in culture and art.\n\nAs she was a model and a muse to male artists, Paul says it took courage to start painting herself, so we began our long conversation by asking her about her perspective on her biography, her lover Lucian Freud, and the most important relationships in her life.\n\nEuronews Culture: Who are you? - is it a question you can answer easily?\n\nCelia Paul: Well, I can answer it basically. I can just say I'm Celia Paul. Of course I'm a painter, absolutely. I've painted more or less every day of my life since I was 15. Yes, everything else is secondary to that.\n\nAre you your own muse?\n\nOf course. I mean... 'muse' is such a... become quite a hackneyed word, but I paint myself as well as other people I know.\n\nIs it difficult to paint yourself and also, maybe, hear criticism?\n\nWell, I never mind about criticism, because I'm... you know, you can't. But I am self-questioning always, and it took a long time for me to be able to paint myself. I could paint other people I knew well, but couldn't paint myself until I was much older.\n\nWhy?\n\nI think it's partly the surface of the mirror, you have to be so static in front of the glass. And when you paint other people they're always slightly in movement and can turn their head away and if you're looking in the mirror you can't do that... so there's a kind of strain. The look in the mirror. But then when I got older I started to reference photographs of me and paintings of me, and in that way I got an outsider view of myself which was easier and somehow more true to how I feel inside.\n\nSo how was Celia Paul before she was brave enough to start painting herself and afterwards?\n\nWell, I was a child, so I was different. I was born in India, actually. My parents were missionaries, Christian missionaries. And when we came back to England when I was five, my father became head of an evangelical Christian community in the most beautiful part of England, in the West Country, right by the sea. And I was, in my early adolescence, nature became more and more important to me. And my earliest paintings were of the beauty of nature, not landscapes, but flowers and objects I found and made kind of still lives from. And it was that that got me into the Slade [School of Fine Art] when I was only 16. So I moved from a very remote part of Devon to central London at the age of 16, where I was very much alone. And I shifted from working from nature to working from people because the emphasis was on life drawing, on the nude. And so I started to get interested in painting people.\n\nBut my first real breakthrough was painting my mother. She started to sit for me when I was 17 and I realised actually this is my subject matter, my mother is my subjects matter. And she went on sitting for me twice a week for 30 years until she got too old to climb the 80 stairs to my studio.\n\nWhat did you see in your mother that interested you the most?\n\nI think it's crucial to paint what means something to the artist. If you don't have something urgent to express, then there's no point in painting, and the person who mattered most to me was my mother. I think you can see it in all great portraits if the artist loves the sitter, something different happens. You can see with Rembrandt's paintings of his mother, for example. And I wanted that kind of intensity.\n\nDo you also put romantic love into your paintings?\n\nMore recently I have, but earlier than that I'm one of five sisters, so... I painted them and particularly my younger sister, Kate. But when I painted subjects to do with romantic love, I haven't worked from life. I've worked either from paintings, I've been thinking a lot about, there's a Giorgione painting called 'La Tempesta', which is probably one of the most romantic images between a man and a woman. And then photographs I've been painting. Between myself when I was young and my lover Lucian Freud, who I met when I was 18 at the Slade School of Art and he was a tutor, he was 55 and I had a very long relationship with him and at the beginning I was very in love with him.\n\nWhat do you learn about yourself during your painting sessions?\n\nIt feels like a crisis every time I pick up a brush and paint, it's life or death.\n\nSo why is it worth it?\n\nBecause to try and get some intensity, to try to capture the moment as it's passing. Time is an extraordinary thing that I've always, from the very beginning, had this feeling of, I suppose, life and death. I think it's to do with growing up in a religious family, this feeling that... This life is not going to be forever.\n\nDo you feel like you are a religious person right now?\n\nBut that's such a difficult question... I prefer the word spiritual. I mean, the only thing that matters to me in art, really, is the spiritual. I'm attracted to stillness in a painting or a work of art. That's the quality I look for. And beauty.\n\nWhat do you like the most about your paintings?\n\nI think there has to be a true emotion, which is quite difficult to define, but you can tell when something's fake. I mean, not to do with whether it's done by AI, but you can tell if the feeling is false and if perhaps there's no need for this person to have painted this painting. You can really sense if there is a necessity to a work of art and that's what I look for.\n\nAnd what feeling do you see when you look at your paintings from the past?\n\nI always try to spend a lot of time just thinking about where my life is now, what matters to me now. And it changes all the time. Three years ago my husband, Steven Kupfer died, and a lot of my work after that became about grief, because in a space of a few years Lucian Freud died, my mother died and Steven died. And these three people were tremendously important to me. So I started to think about grief a lot in all my work and about the past. And I think I'm gradually shifting away from that and I want to aim towards something more tender, I think, and compassionate.\n\nAfter some years do you see the grief differently?\n\nI think everyone who's experienced grief knows that it comes in waves and that actually nothing is ever the same afterwards. But in a strange way, I've become very liberated because I'm now completely on my own. And actually it's tremendously exciting to be on my. I can do what I want when I want. And my work just has been getting stronger and bigger and more daring. I'm just so longing to get back to the studio as I speak to you (smile).\n\nYou also told me before our conversation that you don't go out a lot, you don't travel a lot. You find your peace at your place, at your studio?\n\nYes, I've worked in the same studio in Bloomsbury, right in front of the British Museum, it has a view onto the forecourts of the British Museum. And I've been there since I was 22. Think I could work anywhere else in the same way. It's the street I live in, my studio is also where I live, it's one of the noisiest streets in London, but somehow my studio has this extraordinary silence because of all the people who have sat for me in silence, because I always paint in silence. And for the amount of time I've spent by myself thinking. I think from a child, I've always had this quality of stillness, even when I was very little, a child in the garden in India. Sit for hours just not moving which is quite strange for a child because you see children they're usually very lively but I wasn't like that.\n\nAre you inside, also still? Or there is a chaos inside of you?\n\nNo, I'm an anxious person, I worry a lot, mainly about my painting. I don't think I'm a chaotic person, I'm very rigorous thinker and read a lot and my work is quite a lot about ideas.\n\nLet's take a minute to talk about this exhibition. We are here in Warsaw and it's very special. It's all female artists' pieces of art here. How does it make you feel? Your painting is between all of those amazing artists and that you are also in here?\n\nWhat strikes me particularly is that each work of art here had to be fought for. A woman artist has to really fight for her freedom in quite a different way to a male artist. There's still this expectation that a woman should be a carer, a support, whatever, status or vocation and so for each woman who has produced a work of art here she had to fight for her space.\n\nCelia Paul's paintings are being exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw as part of The Woman in Question 1550-2025 which runs until 3 May 2026.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>British painter Celia Paul says doesn't go out very often. She prefers the familiarity of her central London studio. It also doubles as her home and is an essential fortress of solitude for someone who's constantly looking within herself.<\/p>\n<p>Knowing that made her recent visit to Poland even more special as she's one of several female artists being featured at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw as part of its latest exhibition entitled 'The Woman Question 1550\u20132025'. <\/p>\n<p>In March 2025 the New York Review of Books published her essay 'Painting Myself', in which she explores the female gaze, identity construction through creativity and how women are perceived and represented in culture and art. <\/p>\n<p>As she was a model and a muse to male artists, Paul says it took courage to start painting herself, so we began our long conversation by asking her about her perspective on her biography, her lover Lucian Freud, and the most important relationships in her life. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Euronews Culture: Who are you? - is it a question you can answer easily?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Celia Paul<\/strong>: Well, I can answer it basically. I can just say I'm Celia Paul. Of course I'm a painter, absolutely. I've painted more or less every day of my life since I was 15. Yes, everything else is secondary to that. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Are you your own muse?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Of course. I mean... 'muse' is such a... become quite a hackneyed word, but I paint myself as well as other people I know.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is it difficult to paint yourself and also, maybe, hear criticism?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Well, I never mind about criticism, because I'm... you know, you can't. But I am self-questioning always, and it took a long time for me to be able to paint myself. I could paint other people I knew well, but couldn't paint myself until I was much older.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">You can see it in all great portraits if the artist loves the sitter, something different happens. <\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n Celia Paul\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"widget__author_descriptionText\">\n painter\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think it's partly the surface of the mirror, you have to be so static in front of the glass. And when you paint other people they're always slightly in movement and can turn their head away and if you're looking in the mirror you can't do that... so there's a kind of strain. The look in the mirror. But then when I got older I started to reference photographs of me and paintings of me, and in that way I got an outsider view of myself which was easier and somehow more true to how I feel inside.<\/p>\n<p><strong>So how was Celia Paul before she was brave enough to start painting herself and afterwards?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Well, I was a child, so I was different. I was born in India, actually. My parents were missionaries, Christian missionaries. And when we came back to England when I was five, my father became head of an evangelical Christian community in the most beautiful part of England, in the West Country, right by the sea. And I was, in my early adolescence, nature became more and more important to me. And my earliest paintings were of the beauty of nature, not landscapes, but flowers and objects I found and made kind of still lives from. And it was that that got me into the Slade [School of Fine Art] when I was only 16. So I moved from a very remote part of Devon to central London at the age of 16, where I was very much alone. And I shifted from working from nature to working from people because the emphasis was on life drawing, on the nude. And so I started to get interested in painting people. <\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-extended widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//56//98//23//1280x719_cmsv2_6c60d2f7-5874-5560-bce7-b8d4397c841f-9569823.jpg/" alt=\"Celia Paul in front of her painting, &#x27;Ghost of a girl with an egg&#x27; which can be seen until May 3, 2026 at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/384x216_cmsv2_6c60d2f7-5874-5560-bce7-b8d4397c841f-9569823.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/640x360_cmsv2_6c60d2f7-5874-5560-bce7-b8d4397c841f-9569823.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/750x422_cmsv2_6c60d2f7-5874-5560-bce7-b8d4397c841f-9569823.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/828x466_cmsv2_6c60d2f7-5874-5560-bce7-b8d4397c841f-9569823.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/1080x608_cmsv2_6c60d2f7-5874-5560-bce7-b8d4397c841f-9569823.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/1200x675_cmsv2_6c60d2f7-5874-5560-bce7-b8d4397c841f-9569823.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/1920x1080_cmsv2_6c60d2f7-5874-5560-bce7-b8d4397c841f-9569823.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Celia Paul in front of her painting, &#x27;Ghost of a girl with an egg&#x27; which can be seen until May 3, 2026 at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews\/Pawe&#x142; G&#x142;ogowski<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>But my first real breakthrough was painting my mother. She started to sit for me when I was 17 and I realised actually this is my subject matter, my mother is my subjects matter. And she went on sitting for me twice a week for 30 years until she got too old to climb the 80 stairs to my studio.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What did you see in your mother that interested you the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think it's crucial to paint what means something to the artist. If you don't have something urgent to express, then there's no point in painting, and the person who mattered most to me was my mother. I think you can see it in all great portraits if the artist loves the sitter, something different happens. You can see with Rembrandt's paintings of his mother, for example. And I wanted that kind of intensity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">It feels like a crisis every time I pick up a brush and paint, it&#x27;s life or death.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n Celia Paul\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"widget__author_descriptionText\">\n painter\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>Do you also put romantic love into your paintings?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>More recently I have, but earlier than that I'm one of five sisters, so... I painted them and particularly my younger sister, Kate. But when I painted subjects to do with romantic love, I haven't worked from life. I've worked either from paintings, I've been thinking a lot about, there's a Giorgione painting called 'La Tempesta', which is probably one of the most romantic images between a man and a woman. And then photographs I've been painting. Between myself when I was young and my lover Lucian Freud, who I met when I was 18 at the Slade School of Art and he was a tutor, he was 55 and I had a very long relationship with him and at the beginning I was very in love with him.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-extended widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.821\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//56//98//23//1280x1049_cmsv2_3dba2685-0545-550c-9743-1f6ca1dc2728-9569823.jpg/" alt=\"Celia Paul, &#x27;Lucian and Me&#x27; (2019)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/384x315_cmsv2_3dba2685-0545-550c-9743-1f6ca1dc2728-9569823.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/640x525_cmsv2_3dba2685-0545-550c-9743-1f6ca1dc2728-9569823.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/750x616_cmsv2_3dba2685-0545-550c-9743-1f6ca1dc2728-9569823.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/828x680_cmsv2_3dba2685-0545-550c-9743-1f6ca1dc2728-9569823.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/1080x887_cmsv2_3dba2685-0545-550c-9743-1f6ca1dc2728-9569823.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/1200x985_cmsv2_3dba2685-0545-550c-9743-1f6ca1dc2728-9569823.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/1920x1576_cmsv2_3dba2685-0545-550c-9743-1f6ca1dc2728-9569823.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Celia Paul, &#x27;Lucian and Me&#x27; (2019)<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">courtesy: Celia Paul and Victoria Miro<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>What do you learn about yourself during your painting sessions?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It feels like a crisis every time I pick up a brush and paint, it's life or death.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">I&#x27;m attracted to stillness in a painting or a work of art. That&#x27;s the quality I look for. And beauty.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n Celia Paul\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"widget__author_descriptionText\">\n painter\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>So why is it worth it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Because to try and get some intensity, to try to capture the moment as it's passing. Time is an extraordinary thing that I've always, from the very beginning, had this feeling of, I suppose, life and death. I think it's to do with growing up in a religious family, this feeling that... This life is not going to be forever.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you feel like you are a religious person right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>But that's such a difficult question... I prefer the word spiritual. I mean, the only thing that matters to me in art, really, is the spiritual. I'm attracted to stillness in a painting or a work of art. That's the quality I look for. And beauty.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">So I started to think about grief a lot in all my work and about the past. And I think I&#x27;m gradually shifting away from that and I want to aim towards something more tender.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n Celia Paul\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"widget__author_descriptionText\">\n painter\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>What do you like the most about your paintings?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think there has to be a true emotion, which is quite difficult to define, but you can tell when something's fake. I mean, not to do with whether it's done by AI, but you can tell if the feeling is false and if perhaps there's no need for this person to have painted this painting. You can really sense if there is a necessity to a work of art and that's what I look for.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-extended widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//56//98//23//1280x719_cmsv2_efb42337-b489-561d-8a5d-7d1f6a1967ca-9569823.jpg/" alt=\"Celia Paul shows Euronews Culture the painting from the MSN exhibition that resonated with her most.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/384x216_cmsv2_efb42337-b489-561d-8a5d-7d1f6a1967ca-9569823.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/640x360_cmsv2_efb42337-b489-561d-8a5d-7d1f6a1967ca-9569823.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/750x422_cmsv2_efb42337-b489-561d-8a5d-7d1f6a1967ca-9569823.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/828x466_cmsv2_efb42337-b489-561d-8a5d-7d1f6a1967ca-9569823.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/1080x608_cmsv2_efb42337-b489-561d-8a5d-7d1f6a1967ca-9569823.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/1200x675_cmsv2_efb42337-b489-561d-8a5d-7d1f6a1967ca-9569823.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/1920x1080_cmsv2_efb42337-b489-561d-8a5d-7d1f6a1967ca-9569823.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Celia Paul shows Euronews Culture the painting from the MSN exhibition that resonated with her most.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews \/ fot. Pawe&#x142; G&#x142;ogowski<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>And what feeling do you see when you look at your paintings from the past?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I always try to spend a lot of time just thinking about where my life is now, what matters to me now. And it changes all the time. Three years ago my husband, Steven Kupfer died, and a lot of my work after that became about grief, because in a space of a few years Lucian Freud died, my mother died and Steven died. And these three people were tremendously important to me. So I started to think about grief a lot in all my work and about the past. And I think I'm gradually shifting away from that and I want to aim towards something more tender, I think, and compassionate.<\/p>\n<p><strong>After some years do you see the grief differently?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think everyone who's experienced grief knows that it comes in waves and that actually nothing is ever the same afterwards. But in a strange way, I've become very liberated because I'm now completely on my own. And actually it's tremendously exciting to be on my. I can do what I want when I want. And my work just has been getting stronger and bigger and more daring. I'm just so longing to get back to the studio as I speak to you (smile).<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">My studio is also where I live, it&#x27;s one of the noisiest streets in London, but somehow my studio has this extraordinary silence because of all the people who have sat for me in silence.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n Celia Paul\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"widget__author_descriptionText\">\n painter\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>You also told me before our conversation that you don't go out a lot, you don't travel a lot. You find your peace at your place, at your studio?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes, I've worked in the same studio in Bloomsbury, right in front of the British Museum, it has a view onto the forecourts of the British Museum. And I've been there since I was 22. Think I could work anywhere else in the same way. It's the street I live in, my studio is also where I live, it's one of the noisiest streets in London, but somehow my studio has this extraordinary silence because of all the people who have sat for me in silence, because I always paint in silence. And for the amount of time I've spent by myself thinking. I think from a child, I've always had this quality of stillness, even when I was very little, a child in the garden in India. Sit for hours just not moving which is quite strange for a child because you see children they're usually very lively but I wasn't like that.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Are you inside, also still? Or there is a chaos inside of you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>No, I'm an anxious person, I worry a lot, mainly about my painting. I don't think I'm a chaotic person, I'm very rigorous thinker and read a lot and my work is quite a lot about ideas.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Let's take a minute to talk about this exhibition. We are here in Warsaw and it's very special. It's all female artists' pieces of art here. How does it make you feel? Your painting is between all of those amazing artists and that you are also in here?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What strikes me particularly is that each work of art here had to be fought for. A woman artist has to really fight for her freedom in quite a different way to a male artist. There's still this expectation that a woman should be a carer, a support, whatever, status or vocation and so for each woman who has produced a work of art here she had to fight for her space.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//56//98//23//808x454_cmsv2_39177f54-5499-546b-a63e-de3b206a2533-9569823.jpg/" alt=\"Celia Paul paints a portrait in her studio.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/384x216_cmsv2_39177f54-5499-546b-a63e-de3b206a2533-9569823.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/640x360_cmsv2_39177f54-5499-546b-a63e-de3b206a2533-9569823.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/750x422_cmsv2_39177f54-5499-546b-a63e-de3b206a2533-9569823.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/828x466_cmsv2_39177f54-5499-546b-a63e-de3b206a2533-9569823.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/1080x608_cmsv2_39177f54-5499-546b-a63e-de3b206a2533-9569823.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/1200x675_cmsv2_39177f54-5499-546b-a63e-de3b206a2533-9569823.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/1920x1080_cmsv2_39177f54-5499-546b-a63e-de3b206a2533-9569823.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Celia Paul paints a portrait in her studio.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Gautier DeBlonde<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><strong>Celia Paul's paintings are being exhibited at the<\/strong> <strong><em>Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>as part of<\/em><\/strong> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////artmuseum.pl//en//exhibitions//the-woman-question-1550-2025/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><em>The Woman in Question 1550-2025<\/em><\/a><strong>which runs until 3 May 2026<\/strong><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1765811829,"updatedAt":1766646917,"publishedAt":1766646840,"firstPublishedAt":1766646840,"lastPublishedAt":1766646916,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/98\/23\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_4ff5217b-aac1-5cac-aec2-02884c0b52f1-9569823.jpg","altText":"Celia Paul paints a portrait in her studio. ","caption":"Celia Paul paints a portrait in her studio. ","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Gautier DeBlonde","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3278,"urlSafeValue":"burzec","title":"Marcelina Burzec","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[{"id":3491,"urlSafeValue":"pawel.glogowski@euronews.com","title":"Pawel Glogowski","twitter":null}]},"keywords":[{"id":21398,"slug":"painter","urlSafeValue":"painter","title":"Painter","titleRaw":"Painter"},{"id":4159,"slug":"exhibition","urlSafeValue":"exhibition","title":"Exhibition","titleRaw":"Exhibition"},{"id":16196,"slug":"sanatc-","urlSafeValue":"sanatc-","title":"artist","titleRaw":"artist"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":4},{"slug":"quotation","count":5}],"related":[{"id":2826538},{"id":2852854},{"id":2843938}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"ZRXXkFRnw3M","dailymotionId":"x9wc0oe"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":762920,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":101040334,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/31\/73\/02\/05\/ED_PYR_3173025_20251224102548.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":762920,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":159378371,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/31\/73\/02\/05\/SHD_PYR_3173025_20251224102548.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"},{"duration":762920,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":578280841,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/31\/73\/02\/05\/FHD_PYR_3173025_20251224102548.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"1080p"}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"art","urlSafeValue":"art","title":"Art","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/art\/art"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"culture","verticals":[{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"},"themes":[{"id":"art","urlSafeValue":"art","title":"Art","url":"\/culture\/art"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":70,"urlSafeValue":"art","title":"Art"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":{"id":2211,"urlSafeValue":"warsaw","title":"Warsaw"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/culture\/2025\/12\/25\/me-myself-and-i-meet-celia-paul-the-solitary-self-portrait-artist-exposing-herself-in-wars","lastModified":1766646916},{"id":2856922,"cid":9592668,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"POLAND UKRAINE ARCHEOLOGIST","daletPyramidId":3690058,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Ukraine demands extradition of Russian archaeologist arrested in Poland","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Ukraine demands extradition of Russian archaeologist from Poland","titleListing2":"The Ukrainian authorities are demanding the extradition from Poland of Alexander Butyagin, an employee of the State Hermitage Museum, who was detained in Warsaw in early December. ","leadin":"The authorities in Kyiv have requested the extradition from Poland of Alexander Butyagin, who was detained in Warsaw in early December over conducting archaeological excavations in Russian-occupied Crimea.","summary":"The authorities in Kyiv have requested the extradition from Poland of Alexander Butyagin, who was detained in Warsaw in early December over conducting archaeological excavations in Russian-occupied Crimea.","keySentence":"","url":"ukraine-demands-extradition-of-russian-archaeologist-arrested-in-poland","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/23\/ukraine-demands-extradition-of-russian-archaeologist-arrested-in-poland","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Poland has received an extradition request from Ukraine for Russian archaeologist Oleksandr Butyagin, who Kyiv accuses of conducting illegal excavations in Russian-occupied Crimea, Polish media reported Tuesday.\n\nThe Warsaw District Prosecutor's Office received the extradition request from Ukrainian authorities for Butyagin, who was detained in Poland on 4 December, according to Polish radio station RMF FM.\n\nButyagin, 52, is an employee of the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, where he heads the ancient archaeology sector on the northern Black Sea coast in the ancient world department.\n\nPolish authorities arrested Butyagin at his hotel in Warsaw while he was travelling through Europe on an Italian visa and had a trip to Belgrade planned, according to reports. A Polish court placed him in custody for 40 days until 13 January while the extradition process proceeds.\n\nButyagin had been in Poland to deliver lectures, having previously given talks in Prague and Amsterdam.\n\nIllegal excavations damaging cultural heritage\n\nUkraine's Prosecutor General's Office in November 2024 charged an unnamed Russian citizen, later identified by Ukrainian media as Butyagin, with illegal excavations in occupied Crimea.\n\nUkrainian authorities accuse Butyagin of conducting archaeological work at the ancient city of Myrmekion in the Kerch district of Crimea from 2014 to 2019 without permits from Ukrainian authorities, resulting in the partial destruction of the archaeological site.\n\nThe Ukrainian security service SBU said in a statement that Butyagin's excavations damaged Ukrainian cultural heritage, with the archaeological team removing \"the so-called cultural layer of the Ukrainian peninsula to a depth of almost two metres\".\n\nUkrainian authorities estimate the damage at more than 200 million hryvnia (approximately \u20ac4.75 million).\n\nThe charges cover illegal search operations at archaeological heritage sites and destruction or damage to cultural heritage sites committed while searching for movable objects.\n\nIf extradited to Ukraine and convicted, he faces between one and 10 years in prison. A Polish court will make the final decision on extradition.\n\nExpeditions and excavations\n\nRussian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Butyagin's detention \"legal arbitrariness.\"\n\nColleagues from the Russian Academy of Sciences called the detention \"absurd in its motivations\". The State Hermitage Museum said all international standards were observed during the expeditions.\n\nButyagin has overseen excavations at Myrmekion, an ancient Greek colony founded in the first half of the 6th century BCE, since 1999, according to statements he gave to Russian state-run media in 2024.\n\nMyrmekion is located near modern Kerch in Crimea. Notable finds during Butyagin's excavations include coins from various periods, including Alexander the Great's era, according to reports.\n\nRussia illegally unilaterally annexed Crimea in February 2014, following its initial invasion of the peninsula and the Donbas region in Ukraine's east. The annexation was condemned by most of the international community as a violation of international law.\n\nUkraine has repeatedly accused Russia of carrying out illegal excavation works and damaging cultural heritage sites in Crimea since 2014, including exporting archaeological discoveries to Russian cities in breach of international law.\n\nThe Ukrainian Centre for Journalist Investigations reported that Butyagin was involved in organising expeditions in Kerch during Russia's occupation.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Poland has received an extradition request from Ukraine for Russian archaeologist Oleksandr Butyagin, who Kyiv accuses of conducting illegal excavations in Russian-occupied Crimea, Polish media reported Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>The Warsaw District Prosecutor's Office received the extradition request from Ukrainian authorities for Butyagin, who was detained in Poland on 4 December, according to Polish radio station RMF FM.<\/p>\n<p>Butyagin, 52, is an employee of the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, where he heads the ancient archaeology sector on the northern Black Sea coast in the ancient world department.<\/p>\n<p>Polish authorities arrested Butyagin at his hotel in Warsaw while he was travelling through Europe on an Italian visa and had a trip to Belgrade planned, according to reports. A Polish court placed him in custody for 40 days until 13 January while the extradition process proceeds.<\/p>\n<p>Butyagin had been in Poland to deliver lectures, having previously given talks in Prague and Amsterdam. <\/p>\n<h2>Illegal excavations damaging cultural heritage<\/h2>\n<p>Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office in November 2024 charged an unnamed Russian citizen, later identified by Ukrainian media as Butyagin, with illegal excavations in occupied Crimea.<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian authorities accuse Butyagin of conducting archaeological work at the ancient city of Myrmekion in the Kerch district of Crimea from 2014 to 2019 without permits from Ukrainian authorities, resulting in the partial destruction of the archaeological site.<\/p>\n<p>The Ukrainian security service SBU said in a statement that Butyagin's excavations damaged Ukrainian cultural heritage, with the archaeological team removing \"the so-called cultural layer of the Ukrainian peninsula to a depth of almost two metres\".<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian authorities estimate the damage at more than 200 million hryvnia (approximately \u20ac4.75 million).<\/p>\n<p>The charges cover illegal search operations at archaeological heritage sites and destruction or damage to cultural heritage sites committed while searching for movable objects.<\/p>\n<p>If extradited to Ukraine and convicted, he faces between one and 10 years in prison. A Polish court will make the final decision on extradition.<\/p>\n<h2>Expeditions and excavations<\/h2>\n<p>Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Butyagin's detention \"legal arbitrariness.\"<\/p>\n<p>Colleagues from the Russian Academy of Sciences called the detention \"absurd in its motivations\". The State Hermitage Museum said all international standards were observed during the expeditions.<\/p>\n<p>Butyagin has overseen excavations at Myrmekion, an ancient Greek colony founded in the first half of the 6th century BCE, since 1999, according to statements he gave to Russian state-run media in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Myrmekion is located near modern Kerch in Crimea. Notable finds during Butyagin's excavations include coins from various periods, including Alexander the Great's era, according to reports.<\/p>\n<p>Russia illegally unilaterally annexed Crimea in February 2014, following its initial invasion of the peninsula and the Donbas region in Ukraine's east. The annexation was condemned by most of the international community as a violation of international law.<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of carrying out illegal excavation works and damaging cultural heritage sites in Crimea since 2014, including exporting archaeological discoveries to Russian cities in breach of international law.<\/p>\n<p>The Ukrainian Centre for Journalist Investigations reported that Butyagin was involved in organising expeditions in Kerch during Russia's occupation.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1766508153,"updatedAt":1766509277,"publishedAt":1766509271,"firstPublishedAt":1766509271,"lastPublishedAt":1766509271,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/25\/83\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_02e87a14-8b17-5203-9231-9afe00769601-9592583.jpg","altText":"Butyagin","caption":"Butyagin","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"\u0421\u0430\u0439\u0442 \u0418\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0442\u0443\u0442\u0430 \u0430\u0440\u0445\u0435\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0433\u0438\u0438 \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0439\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u0430\u043a\u0430\u0434\u0435\u043c\u0438\u0438 \u043d\u0430\u0443\u043a","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1046,"height":654}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":688,"urlSafeValue":"sheludkova","title":"Irina Sheludkova","twitter":"@irinasheludkova"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":4162,"slug":"archaeology","urlSafeValue":"archaeology","title":"Archaeology","titleRaw":"Archaeology"},{"id":11734,"slug":"crimea","urlSafeValue":"crimea","title":"Crimea","titleRaw":"Crimea"},{"id":26698,"slug":"russia-ukraine-invasion","urlSafeValue":"russia-ukraine-invasion","title":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine","titleRaw":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine"},{"id":27468,"slug":"annexation","urlSafeValue":"annexation","title":"annexation","titleRaw":"annexation"}],"widgets":[],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"ru","storyId":9592583,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/23\/ukraine-demands-extradition-of-russian-archaeologist-arrested-in-poland","lastModified":1766509271},{"id":2856841,"cid":9592187,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"POLAND ANTI DRONE CLUSTER","daletPyramidId":3686635,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Poland installs anti-drone system on Belarus border amid rising security fears","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Poland sets up anti-drone system on Belarus border amid security fears","titleListing2":"Poland installs anti-drone system on Belarus border amid security fears","leadin":"Poland installed the first cluster of anti-drone defence systems on a new observation tower near the Belarus border as the government strengthens security. Over 6,000 personnel to spend Christmas on border duty.","summary":"Poland installed the first cluster of anti-drone defence systems on a new observation tower near the Belarus border as the government strengthens security. Over 6,000 personnel to spend Christmas on border duty.","keySentence":"","url":"poland-installs-anti-drone-system-on-belarus-border-amid-rising-security-fears","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/23\/poland-installs-anti-drone-system-on-belarus-border-amid-rising-security-fears","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Poland has installed the first cluster of an artillery defence system on a new observation tower in Ozierany, near the Polish-Belarusian border, as part of efforts to strengthen security against threats from unmanned aerial vehicles, officials said Tuesday.\n\n\"It is a special tower because the first cluster of the artillery system that will defend the Polish border is being installed on this tower. Already in January this cluster will be launched,\" Interior and Administration Minister Marcin Kierwi\u0144ski said during a press briefing in Ozierany.\n\nKierwi\u0144ski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk also visited the Border Guard post in Bobrowniki on Tuesday as part of the latest phase of strengthening security along the Polish-Belarusian border.\n\nThe tower in Ozierany is one of five such structures built in recent months. They have been installed along the Svisloch and Istoczanka rivers, among other locations. The total investment cost was approximately 47 million zloty (\u20ac\u00a311.1 million).\n\nMore than 4,000 soldiers and several hundred Border Guard and police officers will spend Christmas Eve on duty, Tusk said.\n\n\"In total, more than 6,000 people will spend Christmas Eve right on the border and we will think warmly of them and we will all remember that thanks to them, everyone else can spend this Christmas safely in their homes,\" he said.\n\nKierwi\u0144ski spoke about heightened border security, saying that \"almost 30,000 attempts to illegally cross the Polish border\" had been thwarted. \"This shows what a challenge we are facing,\" he said.\n\nHowever, activists who continue to provide humanitarian aid on the Polish-Belarusian border and human rights organisations say that although there are now fewer calls from migrants for help, the humanitarian situation remains difficult.\n\nBodies found in forest\n\nWhile reinforcements of the Polish-Belarusian border continue, activists providing humanitarian assistance to migrants report both requests for support and finding bodies in the forest.\n\nBy July, the Polish Border Guard and the Prosecutor's Office had confirmed finding at least 10 corpses of foreigners, although the exact number of victims remains unknown.\n\nThe organisation We Are Monitoring, which documents the crisis in numbers, reported 14 cases in 2025.\n\nAid groups continue to receive calls for help, an activist working in Podlasie who spoke on condition of anonymity told Euronews.\n\n\"(Belarusian President Aliaksandr) Lukashenka withdrew migrants from the zone as they had been making arrangements since the borders opened, but this is not a man you can make arrangements with,\" they said.\n\n\"The problem is that these people are near Minsk, near Grodno and so on and they are trying to go through the (border crossing) and they can't do that either because the Court doesn't give them an interim (application for temporary protection).\"\n\nIs Belarus building a weapons factory?\n\nBelarus' military activities are not made public, but there is increasing talk of its involvement in Russia's all-out war in Ukraine.\n\nRecently, the opposition organisation BELPOL revealed in a YouTube video that a weapons factory is being built near Minsk.\n\nAccording to the group, the Uchastok project, which has been under construction since November 2023, envisages the launch of a complete production cycle for artillery and rocket ammunition of Soviet calibres - 122mm and 152mm. The plant is scheduled for completion in December 2026.\n\nA dedicated production plant has reportedly been established for the project, which is expected to play a major role in the expansion of the Belarusian munitions industry. The factory is located in the Slutsk region, some 60 kilometres from Minsk.\n\nA BELPOL representative noted that Belarus does not currently manufacture key explosives components, meaning the plant will need to use imported technology and raw materials, with Russia and China as Belarus' main partners in the venture.\n\n\"Given the scope and volume of production, the end customer will be the Russian Federation,\" opposition figure Uladzimir Zychar said in the report published on YouTube.\n\nThe government has long drawn public attention to the problem of illegal border crossings and migration. At the same time, there are increasing claims that the real threats are more likely to come from Belarus' military actions, according to Poland-based Belarusian news outlet Belsat.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Poland has installed the first cluster of an artillery defence system on a new observation tower in Ozierany, near the Polish-Belarusian border, as part of efforts to strengthen security against threats from unmanned aerial vehicles, officials said Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>\"It is a special tower because the first cluster of the artillery system that will defend the Polish border is being installed on this tower. Already in January this cluster will be launched,\" Interior and Administration Minister Marcin Kierwi\u0144ski said during a press briefing in Ozierany.<\/p>\n<p>Kierwi\u0144ski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk also visited the Border Guard post in Bobrowniki on Tuesday as part of the latest phase of strengthening security along the Polish-Belarusian border.<\/p>\n<p>The tower in Ozierany is one of five such structures built in recent months. They have been installed along the Svisloch and Istoczanka rivers, among other locations. The total investment cost was approximately 47 million zloty (\u20ac\u00a311.1 million).<\/p>\n<p>More than 4,000 soldiers and several hundred Border Guard and police officers will spend Christmas Eve on duty, Tusk said. <\/p>\n<p>\"In total, more than 6,000 people will spend Christmas Eve right on the border and we will think warmly of them and we will all remember that thanks to them, everyone else can spend this Christmas safely in their homes,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>Kierwi\u0144ski spoke about heightened border security, saying that \"almost 30,000 attempts to illegally cross the Polish border\" had been thwarted. \"This shows what a challenge we are facing,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>However, activists who continue to provide humanitarian aid on the Polish-Belarusian border and human rights organisations say that although there are now fewer calls from migrants for help, the humanitarian situation remains difficult.<\/p>\n<h2>Bodies found in forest<\/h2>\n<p>While reinforcements of the Polish-Belarusian border continue, activists providing humanitarian assistance to migrants report both requests for support and finding bodies in the forest.<\/p>\n<p>By July, the Polish Border Guard and the Prosecutor's Office had confirmed finding at least 10 corpses of foreigners, although the exact number of victims remains unknown. <\/p>\n<p>The organisation We Are Monitoring, which documents the crisis in numbers, reported 14 cases in 2025.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6953125\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//62//89//04//808x561_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg/" alt=\"FILE: Belarus President Aliaksandr Lukashenka plants young trees during a subbotnik, a Soviet-style clean-up day, in the village of Alexandria, 17 April 2021\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/384x267_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/640x445_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/750x521_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/828x576_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1080x751_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1200x834_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/1920x1335_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">FILE: Belarus President Aliaksandr Lukashenka plants young trees during a subbotnik, a Soviet-style clean-up day, in the village of Alexandria, 17 April 2021<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Aid groups continue to receive calls for help, an activist working in Podlasie who spoke on condition of anonymity told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>\"(Belarusian President Aliaksandr) Lukashenka withdrew migrants from the zone as they had been making arrangements since the borders opened, but this is not a man you can make arrangements with,\" they said. <\/p>\n<p>\"The problem is that these people are near Minsk, near Grodno and so on and they are trying to go through the (border crossing) and they can't do that either because the Court doesn't give them an interim (application for temporary protection).\" <\/p>\n<h2>Is Belarus building a weapons factory?<\/h2>\n<p>Belarus' military activities are not made public, but there is increasing talk of its involvement in Russia's all-out war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Recently, the opposition organisation BELPOL revealed in a YouTube video that a weapons factory is being built near Minsk. <\/p>\n<p>According to the group, the Uchastok project, which has been under construction since November 2023, envisages the launch of a complete production cycle for artillery and rocket ammunition of Soviet calibres - 122mm and 152mm. The plant is scheduled for completion in December 2026.<\/p>\n<p>A dedicated production plant has reportedly been established for the project, which is expected to play a major role in the expansion of the Belarusian munitions industry. The factory is located in the Slutsk region, some 60 kilometres from Minsk.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//12//13//underground-infiltration-tunnel-for-smuggling-migrants-from-belarus-into-poland-discovered/">Underground infiltration: Tunnel for smuggling migrants from Belarus into Poland discovered<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//12//09//lithuania-declares-state-of-emergency-over-balloon-incursions-from-belarus/">Lithuania declares state of emergency over balloon incursions from Belarus<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>A BELPOL representative noted that Belarus does not currently manufacture key explosives components, meaning the plant will need to use imported technology and raw materials, with Russia and China as Belarus' main partners in the venture.<\/p>\n<p>\"Given the scope and volume of production, the end customer will be the Russian Federation,\" opposition figure Uladzimir Zychar said in the report published on YouTube.<\/p>\n<p>The government has long drawn public attention to the problem of illegal border crossings and migration. At the same time, there are increasing claims that the real threats are more likely to come from Belarus' military actions, according to Poland-based Belarusian news outlet Belsat.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1766492960,"updatedAt":1766501611,"publishedAt":1766501607,"firstPublishedAt":1766501607,"lastPublishedAt":1766501607,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/21\/87\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_1f50b0da-11ac-5924-95ef-5d0c49f8452c-9592187.jpg","altText":"FILE: Servicemen guard at a section of Poland-Belarus border barrier near the Polowce-Pieszczatka, 15 October 2025","caption":"FILE: Servicemen guard at a section of Poland-Belarus border barrier near the Polowce-Pieszczatka, 15 October 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/62\/89\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_095c6e25-bb49-54ce-860c-7f21c8c5852a-7628904.jpg","altText":"FILE: Belarus President Aliaksandr Lukashenka plants young trees during a subbotnik, a Soviet-style clean-up day, in the village of Alexandria, 17 April 2021","caption":"FILE: Belarus President Aliaksandr Lukashenka plants young trees during a subbotnik, a Soviet-style clean-up day, in the village of Alexandria, 17 April 2021","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":712}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3280,"urlSafeValue":"kubacka","title":"Katarzyna Kubacka","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":23,"slug":"belarus","urlSafeValue":"belarus","title":"Belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus"},{"id":68,"slug":"defence","urlSafeValue":"defence","title":"Defence","titleRaw":"Defence"},{"id":230,"slug":"poland","urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","titleRaw":"Poland"},{"id":4525,"slug":"borders","urlSafeValue":"borders","title":"Borders","titleRaw":"Borders"},{"id":13190,"slug":"migrants","urlSafeValue":"migrants","title":"Migrants","titleRaw":"Migrants"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2802868},{"id":2847948},{"id":2849359}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"lPC4TVvDh8Y","dailymotionId":"x9w9t68"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/32\/34\/10\/03\/ED_PYR_3234103_20251223140907.mp4","editor":"","duration":81200,"filesizeBytes":15688658,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/32\/34\/10\/03\/SHD_PYR_3234103_20251223140907.mp4","editor":"","duration":81200,"filesizeBytes":22778212,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"1080p","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/32\/34\/10\/03\/FHD_PYR_3234103_20251223140907.mp4","editor":"","duration":81200,"filesizeBytes":66035651,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"en","storyId":9592187,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/23\/poland-installs-anti-drone-system-on-belarus-border-amid-rising-security-fears","lastModified":1766501607},{"id":2855708,"cid":9587790,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"Travel_Poland mega-airport","daletPyramidId":3649529,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"This mega-airport in Poland is set to become one of the biggest transport hubs in Europe","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Poland is building a \u20ac30 billion mega-airport. When will it open?","titleListing2":"This mega-airport in Poland is set to become one of the biggest transport hubs in Europe","leadin":"Port Polska is envisioned as a gateway to Europe and as one of the largest transport hubs in the region.","summary":"Port Polska is envisioned as a gateway to Europe and as one of the largest transport hubs in the region.","keySentence":"","url":"this-mega-airport-in-poland-is-set-to-become-one-of-the-biggest-transport-hubs-in-europe","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/2025\/12\/23\/this-mega-airport-in-poland-is-set-to-become-one-of-the-biggest-transport-hubs-in-europe","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Poland\u2019s long-planned mega-airport is set to open in 2032 with a new name: Port Polska.\u00a0\n\nThe transport hub, located between Warsaw and the smaller city of \u0141\u00f3d\u017a, hopes to welcome 40 million passengers annually. It puts it in the same league as the likes of London Heathrow and Istanbul.\u00a0\n\nThe project received approval in 2017, but progress has been marred by a corruption scandal involving the previous government.\u00a0\n\nCurrent Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, who was elected in 2023, has vowed to give the scheme \u201ca clean start\u201d.\u00a0\n\nHe previously said the airport will \u201ccompletely revolutionise travel across the country and beyond\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\u2018The largest transport hub in the region\u2019\n\nPort Polska is envisioned as a gateway to Europe and as one of the largest transport hubs in the region.\u00a0\n\nAuthorities have earmarked 131 billion Polish z\u0142oty (\u20ac30 billion) for the construction, which will begin in 2026.\u00a0\n\nThe mega-airport has been hailed as a game-changer for travel in the region. Flights will connect to major international destinations, while high-speed rail services will offer a no-fly option for travellers to reach key cities like Krak\u00f3w, Gda\u0144sk and Wroc\u0142aw.\u00a0\n\nAround 40 per cent of passengers are expected to arrive at the airport via train, particularly from Warsaw, which will take around 20 minutes. There will also be a highway system linking to the rest of the country.\n\n\"Aircraft from all over the world, 24\/7; the largest transport hub in the region; the fastest rail network in Europe \u2013 that\u2019s what we\u2019re building,\" Tusk said last week.\u00a0\n\nHe added that the project deserved a \u201cclean start\u201d. Originally named Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK), the airport was linked to allegations of corruption.\n\nReports found that the previous populist ruling party sold 160 hectares of land key to the construction of the transport hub to a private company.\u00a0\n\nWhat will the new transport hub look like?\u00a0\n\nA vast 2,585-hectare plot of land has been approved for construction. The airport will open with two parallel runways around 4,000 metres in length. A third and possibly fourth are expected to be added later.\u00a0\n\nAdjacent to the airstrips will be a passenger terminal and railway station.\n\nThe design of the transport hub is being led by British architectural studio Foster + Partners.\u00a0\n\nThey are planning a landside interchange plaza \u201canimated by lush greenery and flooded with natural light.\u201d\n\nThis space will bring together the three main modes of transport - air, rail and road - and act as a place for people to congregate before travelling or while waiting to welcome visitors.\u00a0\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Poland\u2019s long-planned mega-airport is set to open in 2032 with a new name: Port Polska. <\/p>\n<p>The transport hub, located between Warsaw and the smaller city of \u0141\u00f3d\u017a, hopes to welcome 40 million passengers annually. It puts it in the same league as the likes of London Heathrow and Istanbul. <\/p>\n<p>The project received approval in 2017, but progress has been marred by a corruption scandal involving the previous government. <\/p>\n<p>Current Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, who was elected in 2023, has vowed to give the scheme \u201ca clean start\u201d. <\/p>\n<p>He previously said the airport will \u201ccompletely revolutionise travel across the country and beyond\u201d. <\/p>\n<h2>\u2018The largest transport hub in the region\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Port Polska is envisioned as a gateway to Europe and as one of the largest transport hubs in the region. <\/p>\n<p>Authorities have earmarked 131 billion Polish z\u0142oty (\u20ac30 billion) for the construction, which will begin in 2026. <\/p>\n<p>The mega-airport has been hailed as a game-changer for travel in the region. Flights will connect to major international destinations, while high-speed rail services will offer a no-fly option for travellers to reach key cities like <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2025//09//12//from-krakow-to-valencia-what-are-the-best-european-city-breaks-right-now/">Krak/u00f3w, Gda\u0144sk and Wroc\u0142aw. <\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//58//77//90//808x404_cmsv2_b0e3466b-190a-5725-b881-03c7e981c35e-9587790.jpg/" alt=\"A vast 2,585-hectare plot of land has been approved for construction. \" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/77\/90\/384x192_cmsv2_b0e3466b-190a-5725-b881-03c7e981c35e-9587790.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/77\/90\/640x320_cmsv2_b0e3466b-190a-5725-b881-03c7e981c35e-9587790.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/77\/90\/750x375_cmsv2_b0e3466b-190a-5725-b881-03c7e981c35e-9587790.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/77\/90\/828x414_cmsv2_b0e3466b-190a-5725-b881-03c7e981c35e-9587790.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/77\/90\/1080x540_cmsv2_b0e3466b-190a-5725-b881-03c7e981c35e-9587790.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/77\/90\/1200x600_cmsv2_b0e3466b-190a-5725-b881-03c7e981c35e-9587790.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/77\/90\/1920x960_cmsv2_b0e3466b-190a-5725-b881-03c7e981c35e-9587790.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A vast 2,585-hectare plot of land has been approved for construction. <\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Foster + Partners<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Around 40 per cent of passengers are expected to arrive at the airport via train, particularly from Warsaw, which will take around 20 minutes. There will also be a highway system linking to the rest of the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2025//09//19//poland-beyond-the-postcards-history-art-and-wild-escapes/">country./n

/"Aircraft from all over the world, 24\/7; the largest transport hub in the region; the fastest rail network in Europe \u2013 that\u2019s what we\u2019re building,\" Tusk said last week. <\/p>\n<p>He added that the project deserved a \u201cclean start\u201d. Originally named Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK), the airport was linked to allegations of corruption.<\/p>\n<p>Reports found that the previous populist ruling party sold 160 hectares of land key to the construction of the transport hub to a private company. <\/p>\n<h2>What will the new transport hub look like?<\/h2>\n<p>A vast 2,585-hectare plot of land has been approved for construction. The <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2025//12//11//flying-high-what-are-europes-fastest-growing-airports/">airportwill open with two parallel runways around 4,000 metres in length. A third and possibly fourth are expected to be added later. <\/p>\n<p>Adjacent to the airstrips will be a passenger terminal and <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2025//02//16//europes-former-railway-stations-have-become-the-darling-of-the-luxury-hotel-scene/">railway station<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The design of the transport hub is being led by British architectural studio Foster + Partners. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2025//11//11//tokyos-haneda-airport-bids-travellers-farewell-with-a-colossal-godzilla-installation/">Tokyo/u2019s Haneda airport bids travellers farewell with a colossal Godzilla installation<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2025//11//13//flying-through-munich-this-winter-the-airports-christmas-market-is-worth-the-stopover/">Flying through Munich this winter? The airport\u2019s Christmas market is worth the stopover<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>They are planning a landside interchange plaza \u201canimated by lush greenery and flooded with natural light.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This space will bring together the three main modes of transport - <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2025//01//22//romes-fiumicino-sets-a-new-record-for-the-biggest-airport-solar-farm-in-europe/">air, rail and road - and act as a place for people to congregate before travelling or while waiting to welcome visitors. <\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1766072609,"updatedAt":1766473233,"publishedAt":1766473208,"firstPublishedAt":1766473208,"lastPublishedAt":1766473232,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/77\/90\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d6c62ef8-8e0f-5bae-bac0-08bc802c761c-9587790.jpg","altText":"Port Polska is envisioned as a gateway to Europe and as one of the largest transport hubs in the region. ","caption":"Port Polska is envisioned as a gateway to Europe and as one of the largest transport hubs in the region. ","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Foster + Partners","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1000},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/77\/90\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b0e3466b-190a-5725-b881-03c7e981c35e-9587790.jpg","altText":"A vast 2,585-hectare plot of land has been approved for construction. ","caption":"A vast 2,585-hectare plot of land has been approved for construction. ","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Foster + Partners","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1000}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2460,"urlSafeValue":"hughes","title":"Rebecca Ann Hughes","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":230,"slug":"poland","urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","titleRaw":"Poland"},{"id":12523,"slug":"airport","urlSafeValue":"airport","title":"Airport","titleRaw":"Airport"},{"id":11019,"slug":"air-transport","urlSafeValue":"air-transport","title":"Air transport","titleRaw":"Air transport"},{"id":11021,"slug":"rail-transport","urlSafeValue":"rail-transport","title":"Rail transport","titleRaw":"Rail transport"},{"id":13936,"slug":"high-speed-train","urlSafeValue":"high-speed-train","title":"high speed train ","titleRaw":"high speed train "},{"id":28096,"slug":"passenger","urlSafeValue":"passenger","title":"passenger","titleRaw":"passenger"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2855346},{"id":2853214}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"travel-news","urlSafeValue":"travel-news","title":"Travel News","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/travel-news\/travel-news"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"travel","verticals":[{"id":7,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":7,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel"},"themes":[{"id":"travel-news","urlSafeValue":"travel-news","title":"Travel News","url":"\/travel\/travel-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":21,"urlSafeValue":"travel-news","title":"Travel News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/travel\/2025\/12\/23\/this-mega-airport-in-poland-is-set-to-become-one-of-the-biggest-transport-hubs-in-europe","lastModified":1766473232},{"id":2855754,"cid":9587983,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"POLAND EU COURT RULING","daletPyramidId":3651798,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Top EU court rules Polish Constitutional Tribunal not independent due to political appointments","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Top EU court rules Polish Constitutional Tribunal is not independent","titleListing2":"Top EU court rules Polish Constitutional Tribunal is not independent","leadin":"The Constitutional Tribunal is the highest judicial body in Poland, responsible for checking the compatibility of laws and international agreements with the country's constitution.","summary":"The Constitutional Tribunal is the highest judicial body in Poland, responsible for checking the compatibility of laws and international agreements with the country's constitution.","keySentence":"","url":"top-eu-court-rules-polish-constitutional-tribunal-not-independent-due-to-political-appoint","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/18\/top-eu-court-rules-polish-constitutional-tribunal-not-independent-due-to-political-appoint","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The European Union's top court ruled on Thursday that Poland's Constitutional Tribunal was not \"independent and impartial\" because of politicised appointments made under the previous conservative government.\n\nIn its ruling, the EU's Court of Justice said the Polish Constitutional Tribunal had \"infringed the principle of effective judicial protection\" and \"disregarded the primacy, autonomy, effectiveness and uniform application of EU law.\"\n\nThe Constitutional Tribunal is the highest judicial body in Poland, responsible for checking the compatibility of laws, policies and international agreements with the country's constitution.\n\nBetween 2015 and 2023, Poland's former ruling Law and Justic party drastically transformed\u00a0the justice system, including establishing political control over top courts such as the Constitutional Tribunal and the Supreme Court.\n\nThat put Poland on a collision course with the European Commission, the EU executive, which challenged some of the reforms in front of the EU top court and suspended payments\u00a0of funds to Poland.\n\nThe EU court said the way three of the judges and the president of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal were appointed under the Law and Justice party called into question its status \"as an independent and impartial tribunal established by law within the meaning of EU law.\"\n\nIn theory, such a ruling by the top EU court should trigger national reforms to restore the independence of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal, a requirement for the country to be in the EU.\n\nIn practice, two successive ministers of justice appointed by a new liberal government, in power since 2023,\u00a0have failed\u00a0to restore the independence of that court.\n\nThe main reason is that Poland's current and former presidents, both politically aligned with Law and Justice, have either vetoed or promised to veto legislative changes that would reverse the reforms.\n\nPoland's Justice Minister Waldemar \u017burek welcomed Thursday's ruling.\n\n\"This ruling obliges our state to take action,\" he said in a comment posted on X. \"We must rebuild a genuine, independent Tribunal together. This is a fundamental issue for the state and citizens. We are ready for this task.\"\n\n","htmlText":"<p>The European Union's top court ruled on Thursday that Poland's Constitutional Tribunal was not \"independent and impartial\" because of politicised appointments made under the previous conservative government.<\/p>\n<p>In its ruling, the EU's Court of Justice said the Polish Constitutional Tribunal had \"infringed the principle of effective judicial protection\" and \"disregarded the primacy, autonomy, effectiveness and uniform application of EU law.\"<\/p>\n<p>The Constitutional Tribunal is the highest judicial body in Poland, responsible for checking the compatibility of laws, policies and international agreements with the country's constitution.<\/p>\n<p>Between 2015 and 2023, Poland's former ruling Law and Justic party drastically transformed the justice system, including establishing political control over top courts such as the Constitutional Tribunal and the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"2001598059273191559\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>That put Poland on a collision course with the European Commission, the EU executive, which challenged some of the reforms in front of the EU top court and suspended payments of funds to Poland.<\/p>\n<p>The EU court said the way three of the judges and the president of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal were appointed under the Law and Justice party called into question its status \"as an independent and impartial tribunal established by law within the meaning of EU law.\"<\/p>\n<p>In theory, such a ruling by the top EU court should trigger national reforms to restore the independence of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal, a requirement for the country to be in the EU.<\/p>\n<p>In practice, two successive ministers of justice appointed by a new liberal government, in power since 2023, have failed to restore the independence of that court.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//58//79//83//808x539_cmsv2_5f48b102-afbb-50c2-b0bb-81a45ca99caa-9587983.jpg/" alt=\"Polish Justice Minister Waldemar &#x17B;urek speaks during an interview at the Warsaw headquarters of the Ministry of Justice, 5 November, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/79\/83\/384x256_cmsv2_5f48b102-afbb-50c2-b0bb-81a45ca99caa-9587983.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/79\/83\/640x427_cmsv2_5f48b102-afbb-50c2-b0bb-81a45ca99caa-9587983.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/79\/83\/750x500_cmsv2_5f48b102-afbb-50c2-b0bb-81a45ca99caa-9587983.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/79\/83\/828x552_cmsv2_5f48b102-afbb-50c2-b0bb-81a45ca99caa-9587983.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/79\/83\/1080x720_cmsv2_5f48b102-afbb-50c2-b0bb-81a45ca99caa-9587983.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/79\/83\/1200x800_cmsv2_5f48b102-afbb-50c2-b0bb-81a45ca99caa-9587983.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/79\/83\/1920x1280_cmsv2_5f48b102-afbb-50c2-b0bb-81a45ca99caa-9587983.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Polish Justice Minister Waldemar &#x17B;urek speaks during an interview at the Warsaw headquarters of the Ministry of Justice, 5 November, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The main reason is that Poland's current and former presidents, both politically aligned with Law and Justice, have either vetoed or promised to veto legislative changes that would reverse the reforms.<\/p>\n<p>Poland's Justice Minister Waldemar \u017burek welcomed Thursday's ruling.<\/p>\n<p>\"This ruling obliges our state to take action,\" he said in a comment posted on X. \"We must rebuild a genuine, independent Tribunal together. This is a fundamental issue for the state and citizens. We are ready for this task.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1766083508,"updatedAt":1766132860,"publishedAt":1766084336,"firstPublishedAt":1766084336,"lastPublishedAt":1766132860,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"EC - Audiovisual Service\/Anthony Dehez","altText":"The exterior of the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg, 25 November, 2020","callToActionText":null,"width":1619,"caption":"The exterior of the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg, 25 November, 2020","url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/79\/83\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d112bbcc-0b2a-5cac-ac81-3a6d717c1ca2-9587983.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":910},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","altText":"Polish Justice Minister Waldemar \u017burek speaks during an interview at the Warsaw headquarters of the Ministry of Justice, 5 November, 2025","callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"caption":"Polish Justice Minister Waldemar \u017burek speaks during an interview at the Warsaw headquarters of the Ministry of Justice, 5 November, 2025","url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/79\/83\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5f48b102-afbb-50c2-b0bb-81a45ca99caa-9587983.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"blackburn","twitter":null,"id":2972,"title":"Gavin Blackburn"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[{"urlSafeValue":"amandine.hess@euronews.com","twitter":null,"id":3461,"title":"Amandine Hess"}]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"poland","titleRaw":"Poland","id":230,"title":"Poland","slug":"poland"},{"urlSafeValue":"european-union","titleRaw":"European Union","id":105,"title":"European Union","slug":"european-union"},{"urlSafeValue":"european-court-of-justice","titleRaw":"European Court of Justice","id":6958,"title":"European Court of Justice","slug":"european-court-of-justice"},{"urlSafeValue":"constitution","titleRaw":"Constitution","id":8767,"title":"Constitution","slug":"constitution"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"image"},{"count":1,"slug":"twitter"}],"related":[{"id":2854967},{"id":2852180},{"id":2851319}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"WJvxWel6-5k","dailymotionId":"x9w0bqq"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":76360,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":14015802,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/32\/06\/74\/05\/ED_PYR_3206745_20251219062037.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":76360,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":19910681,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/32\/06\/74\/05\/SHD_PYR_3206745_20251219062037.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"},{"duration":76360,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":61317440,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/32\/06\/74\/05\/FHD_PYR_3206745_20251219062037.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"1080p"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"AP","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":{"id":2211,"urlSafeValue":"warsaw","title":"Warsaw"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/18\/top-eu-court-rules-polish-constitutional-tribunal-not-independent-due-to-political-appoint","lastModified":1766132860},{"id":2854967,"cid":9584673,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"POLAND TERRORIST ATACK ATTEMPT","daletPyramidId":3619640,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Polish authorities foil Islamic State-inspired Christmas market attack plot","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Polish authorities foil IS-inspired Christmas market attack plot","titleListing2":"A 19-year-old law student at Poland's Catholic University of Lublin has been arrested for allegedly planning a terrorist attack in support of the IS jihadist group. He faces between 12 years and life imprisonment if convicted.","leadin":"A 19-year-old law student at Poland's Catholic University of Lublin has been arrested for allegedly planning a terrorist attack in support of the IS jihadist group. He faces between 12 years and life imprisonment if convicted.","summary":"A 19-year-old law student at Poland's Catholic University of Lublin has been arrested for allegedly planning a terrorist attack in support of the IS jihadist group. He faces between 12 years and life imprisonment if convicted.","keySentence":"","url":"polish-authorities-foil-islamic-state-inspired-christmas-market-attack-plot","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/16\/polish-authorities-foil-islamic-state-inspired-christmas-market-attack-plot","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A first-year law student at the Catholic University of Lublin was arrested by Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) over a foiled plan to commit a terrorist attack, officials said.\n\nMateusz W, 19, a Polish citizen from a Catholic family, allegedly intended to join a terrorist organisation and was planning an attack in a public place in support of the so-called Islamic State group (IS). He was arrested on 30 November and will remain in custody for three months.\n\nThe National Public Prosecutor's Office said ABW officers searched locations in the \u0141\u00f3d\u017a and Lublin provinces, seizing data storage devices and other items that may serve as evidence.\n\n\"Searches were carried out during which data carriers, including Mateusz W's mobile phone, and objects related to the Islamic religion were secured,\" said Katarzyna Cal\u00f3w-Jaszewska of the National Prosecutor's Office.\n\n\"Mateusz W's activities included conducting conversations and establishing contacts, including with representatives of the Islamic State, as well as collecting information about explosives and the possibilities of obtaining them.\"\n\nProsecutors said his activities \"did not go beyond the preparation phase\" and were limited to conversations about planning an attack \"in a public place where 10 to 20 people could be present\". References to a Christmas market appeared in conversations but no specific location was identified.\n\nJacek Dobrzynski, spokesman for the Minister-Coordinator of Special Services, said the student was \"strongly fascinated by Islam and terrorism and sought to establish contacts with the Islamic State.\" He added that ABW's actions \"prevented a tragedy\".\n\nDobrzy\u0144ski said Mateusz W is a Polish citizen from central Poland whose parents are also Polish. Neither Dobrzy\u0144ski nor prosecutors specified which city the attack was planned for, saying they did not want to \"create panic\".\n\nUniversity suspends suspect\n\nThe investigation is being conducted by the ABW's Szczecin branch under supervision of the West Pomeranian Branch of the Department for Organised Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor's Office in Szczecin.\n\nThe Catholic University of Lublin received information from the court on 8 December about the student's temporary arrest, which was applied on 2 December, according to university spokesman Wojciech Andrusiewicz.\n\nThe student has been suspended and could face further penalties, including expulsion.\n\nChristmas markets in Europe, particularly in Germany, have been targeted in several attacks in recent years.\n\nPerpetrators have typically used vehicles, knives or explosives, often after being radicalised by extremist propaganda.\n\nLast week, German police foiled a planned attack in Lower Bavaria where five men allegedly intended to ram a vehicle into a crowd at a Christmas market in an undisclosed town.\n\nAuthorities across Europe have introduced additional security measures at Christmas markets, including barriers and checkpoints.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>A first-year law student at the Catholic University of Lublin was arrested by Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) over a foiled plan to commit a terrorist attack, officials said.<\/p>\n<p>Mateusz W, 19, a Polish citizen from a Catholic family, allegedly intended to join a terrorist organisation and was planning an attack in a public place in support of the so-called Islamic State group (IS). He was arrested on 30 November and will remain in custody for three months.<\/p>\n<p>The National Public Prosecutor's Office said ABW officers searched locations in the \u0141\u00f3d\u017a and Lublin provinces, seizing data storage devices and other items that may serve as evidence.<\/p>\n<p>\"Searches were carried out during which data carriers, including Mateusz W's mobile phone, and objects related to the Islamic religion were secured,\" said Katarzyna Cal\u00f3w-Jaszewska of the National Prosecutor's Office. <\/p>\n<p>\"Mateusz W's activities included conducting conversations and establishing contacts, including with representatives of the Islamic State, as well as collecting information about explosives and the possibilities of obtaining them.\"<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors said his activities \"did not go beyond the preparation phase\" and were limited to conversations about planning an attack \"in a public place where 10 to 20 people could be present\". References to a Christmas market appeared in conversations but no specific location was identified.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//11//27//afghan-national-charged-over-attack-on-national-guard-members-in-washington/">Afghan national charged over attack on National Guard members in Washington<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//12//15//german-police-arrest-five-men-over-christmas-market-attack-plot/">German police arrest five men over Christmas market attack plot<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Jacek Dobrzynski, spokesman for the Minister-Coordinator of Special Services, said the student was \"strongly fascinated by Islam and terrorism and sought to establish contacts with the Islamic State.\" He added that ABW's actions \"prevented a tragedy\".<\/p>\n<p>Dobrzy\u0144ski said Mateusz W is a Polish citizen from central Poland whose parents are also Polish. Neither Dobrzy\u0144ski nor prosecutors specified which city the attack was planned for, saying they did not want to \"create panic\".<\/p>\n<h2>University suspends suspect<\/h2>\n<p>The investigation is being conducted by the ABW's Szczecin branch under supervision of the West Pomeranian Branch of the Department for Organised Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor's Office in Szczecin.<\/p>\n<p>The Catholic University of Lublin received information from the court on 8 December about the student's temporary arrest, which was applied on 2 December, according to university spokesman Wojciech Andrusiewicz. <\/p>\n<p>The student has been suspended and could face further penalties, including expulsion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//58//44//98//808x539_cmsv2_4ac92925-1b9e-5a75-8644-6dd50ef3d73e-9584498.jpg/" alt=\"Flowers and candles cover the entrance to St John&#x27;s Church in tribute to the victims of the attack on the Christmas market, during which a car ploughed into a crowd of shoppers the day before,\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/44\/98\/384x256_cmsv2_4ac92925-1b9e-5a75-8644-6dd50ef3d73e-9584498.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/44\/98\/640x427_cmsv2_4ac92925-1b9e-5a75-8644-6dd50ef3d73e-9584498.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/44\/98\/750x500_cmsv2_4ac92925-1b9e-5a75-8644-6dd50ef3d73e-9584498.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/44\/98\/828x552_cmsv2_4ac92925-1b9e-5a75-8644-6dd50ef3d73e-9584498.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/44\/98\/1080x720_cmsv2_4ac92925-1b9e-5a75-8644-6dd50ef3d73e-9584498.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/44\/98\/1200x800_cmsv2_4ac92925-1b9e-5a75-8644-6dd50ef3d73e-9584498.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/44\/98\/1920x1280_cmsv2_4ac92925-1b9e-5a75-8644-6dd50ef3d73e-9584498.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Flowers and candles cover the entrance of St John&#x27;s Church in tribute to the victims of the attack on the Christmas market, during which a car drove into a crowd of shoppers the day before,<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Michael Probst<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Christmas markets in Europe, particularly in Germany, have been targeted in several attacks in recent years. <\/p>\n<p>Perpetrators have typically used vehicles, knives or explosives, often after being radicalised by extremist propaganda.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, German police foiled a planned attack in Lower Bavaria where five men allegedly intended to ram a vehicle into a crowd at a Christmas market in an undisclosed town.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities across Europe have introduced additional security measures at Christmas markets, including barriers and checkpoints. <\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1765885179,"updatedAt":1765886518,"publishedAt":1765886513,"firstPublishedAt":1765886513,"lastPublishedAt":1765886513,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/44\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b84f11dc-8b1c-57bb-948c-6942d9059b20-9584498.jpg","altText":"People visit a Christmas market in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday, 29 November 2025.","caption":"People visit a Christmas market in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday, 29 November 2025.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Czarek Sokolowski","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3532,"urlSafeValue":"agata.todorow@ext.euronews.com","title":"Agata Todorow","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":230,"slug":"poland","urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","titleRaw":"Poland"},{"id":12421,"slug":"terrorist-attack","urlSafeValue":"terrorist-attack","title":"Terrorist attack","titleRaw":"Terrorist attack"},{"id":17340,"slug":"secret-services","urlSafeValue":"secret-services","title":"Secret Services ","titleRaw":"Secret Services "},{"id":30280,"slug":"christmas-market","urlSafeValue":"christmas-market","title":"Christmas Market","titleRaw":"Christmas Market"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2848231},{"id":2849288},{"id":2854536}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"pl","storyId":9584498,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/16\/polish-authorities-foil-islamic-state-inspired-christmas-market-attack-plot","lastModified":1765886513},{"id":2854129,"cid":9581551,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"PL BY BORDER TUNNEL","daletPyramidId":3588451,"channels":[{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14},{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4}],"status":2,"title":"Underground infiltration: Tunnel for smuggling migrants from Belarus into Poland discovered","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Tunnel under Poland-Belarus border for immigrant smuggling discovered","titleListing2":"Underground infiltration: Tunnel for smuggling migrants from Belarus into Poland discovered","leadin":"More than 180 foreigners have illegally entered Poland through a tunnel under the border with Belarus. Most of the migrants have already been detained, the search for the others is still ongoing.","summary":"More than 180 foreigners have illegally entered Poland through a tunnel under the border with Belarus. Most of the migrants have already been detained, the search for the others is still ongoing.","keySentence":"","url":"underground-infiltration-tunnel-for-smuggling-migrants-from-belarus-into-poland-discovered","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/13\/underground-infiltration-tunnel-for-smuggling-migrants-from-belarus-into-poland-discovered","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Polish Border Guard officers have revealed the illegal crossing of the Polish-Belarusian border by more than 180 foreigners.\n\nThe migrants had entered Polish territory through a tunnel dug under a dam near Narewka in the Podlasie region.\n\nThanks to integrated electronic systems, border guards were able to quickly locate them after they emerged and more than 130 migrants have been apprehended while the search for others is still ongoing.\n\nThe tunnel is almost a hundred metres long and about 1.5 metres high.\n\nThe entrance, hidden in the forest on the Belarusian side, was about 50 metres from the border, while the exit was located just 10 metres from the Polish one.\n\nBorder officials said that soldiers, police officers and tracking dogs also took part in the search operation, which allowed for the immediate apprehension of most of the migrants.\n\nAfghan and Pakistani nationals predominated among those apprehended, but the group also included residents of India, Nepal and Bangladesh.\n\nTwo drivers were detained at the same time. They are a 69-year-old Pole and a 49-year-old Lithuanian. The men are suspected of smuggling the migrants to western Europe.\n\nFurther investigations are being carried out.\n\nThis is the fourth such tunnel discovered this year by officers of the Podlaskie Branch of the Border Guard.\n\nThe Border Guard emphasised that thanks to a combination of electronic and physical safeguards, it was possible to respond quickly to such attempts to breach the state border.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Polish Border Guard officers have revealed the illegal crossing of the Polish-Belarusian border by more than 180 foreigners.<\/p>\n<p>The migrants had entered Polish territory through a tunnel dug under a dam near Narewka in the Podlasie region.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to integrated electronic systems, border guards were able to quickly locate them after they emerged and more than 130 migrants have been apprehended while the search for others is still ongoing.<\/p>\n<p>The tunnel is almost a hundred metres long and about 1.5 metres high.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1999429480545137034\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The entrance, hidden in the forest on the Belarusian side, was about 50 metres from the border, while the exit was located just 10 metres from the Polish one.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//10//19//poland-not-an-isolated-case-what-to-know-about-secret-migrant-tunnel-systems/">Poland not an isolated case: What to know about secret migrant tunnel systems<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Border officials said that soldiers, police officers and tracking dogs also took part in the search operation, which allowed for the immediate apprehension of most of the migrants.<\/p>\n<p>Afghan and Pakistani nationals predominated among those apprehended, but the group also included residents of India, Nepal and Bangladesh.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.75\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//58//13//72//808x608_cmsv2_6d722a27-5079-5fae-a63b-e51168f7ec29-9581372.jpg/" alt=\"More than 180 foreigners illegally entered Poland through a tunnel under the border with Belarus.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/13\/72\/384x288_cmsv2_6d722a27-5079-5fae-a63b-e51168f7ec29-9581372.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/13\/72\/640x480_cmsv2_6d722a27-5079-5fae-a63b-e51168f7ec29-9581372.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/13\/72\/750x563_cmsv2_6d722a27-5079-5fae-a63b-e51168f7ec29-9581372.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/13\/72\/828x621_cmsv2_6d722a27-5079-5fae-a63b-e51168f7ec29-9581372.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/13\/72\/1080x810_cmsv2_6d722a27-5079-5fae-a63b-e51168f7ec29-9581372.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/13\/72\/1200x900_cmsv2_6d722a27-5079-5fae-a63b-e51168f7ec29-9581372.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/13\/72\/1920x1440_cmsv2_6d722a27-5079-5fae-a63b-e51168f7ec29-9581372.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">More than 180 foreigners illegally entered Poland through a tunnel under the border with Belarus.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Stra&#x17C; Graniczna<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Two drivers were detained at the same time. They are a 69-year-old Pole and a 49-year-old Lithuanian. The men are suspected of smuggling the migrants to western Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Further investigations are being carried out.<\/p>\n<p>This is the fourth such tunnel discovered this year <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////pl.euronews.com//europa//2025//10//18//funkcjonariusze-strazy-granicznej-odkryli-w-piatek-tunel-laczacy-bialoruska-strone-granicy/">by officers of the<\/strong> <\/a><a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2025//10//18//tunnel-connecting-belarus-and-poland-discovered-by-boarder-guards/">Podlaskie <strong>Branch of the Border Guard<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Border Guard emphasised that thanks to a combination of electronic and physical safeguards, it was possible to respond quickly to such attempts to breach the state border.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1765559210,"updatedAt":1765602995,"publishedAt":1765602932,"firstPublishedAt":1765602932,"lastPublishedAt":1765602994,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Stra\u017c Graniczna. ","altText":"Detained illegal migrants at the Polish-Belarusian border. ","callToActionText":null,"width":800,"caption":"Detained illegal migrants at the Polish-Belarusian border. ","url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/13\/72\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c26cf383-a37c-54c2-9fc2-91de789ff26a-9581372.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":600}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"jaronski","twitter":null,"id":3296,"title":"Mateusz Jaronski"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"belarus","titleRaw":"Belarus","id":23,"title":"Belarus","slug":"belarus"},{"urlSafeValue":"poland","titleRaw":"Poland","id":230,"title":"Poland","slug":"poland"},{"urlSafeValue":"europe","titleRaw":"Europe","id":9239,"title":"Europe","slug":"europe"},{"urlSafeValue":"migrants","titleRaw":"Migrants","id":13190,"title":"Migrants","slug":"migrants"},{"urlSafeValue":"hybrid-war","titleRaw":"hybrid war","id":26556,"title":"hybrid war","slug":"hybrid-war"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"image"},{"count":1,"slug":"twitter"},{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2846683},{"id":2853077},{"id":2854769}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Jan Bolanowski & Pawe\u0142 G\u0142ogowski","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"pl","storyId":9581372,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/13\/underground-infiltration-tunnel-for-smuggling-migrants-from-belarus-into-poland-discovered","lastModified":1765602994},{"id":2852854,"cid":9577786,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"STOLEN CHILDREN MOVIE","daletPyramidId":3556372,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"'Stolen children': New documentary explores fate of infants classed as dead but sold for adoption","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"'Stolen Children' documentary highlights Georgian adoption scandal ","titleListing2":"A new documentary explores how thousands of children in Georgia were stolen and sold for adoption after their parents were told they were dead. ","leadin":"From the 1970s until at least 2005, nurses, doctors or taxi drivers were involved in child theft in Georgia. The mothers were told their babies had died and the bodies were not released. Now, a new documentary has given the children a chance to find their biological family.","summary":"From the 1970s until at least 2005, nurses, doctors or taxi drivers were involved in child theft in Georgia. The mothers were told their babies had died and the bodies were not released. Now, a new documentary has given the children a chance to find their biological family.","keySentence":"","url":"stolen-children-new-documentary-explores-fate-of-infants-classed-as-dead-but-sold-for-adop","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2025\/12\/11\/stolen-children-new-documentary-explores-fate-of-infants-classed-as-dead-but-sold-for-adop","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"There are thousand of stories of children stolen and illegally sold for adoption. Across Europe, it's estimated around 100,000 mothers were told during a period dating back to the 1970s that their newborn sons and daughters had died and their bodies were never released to them.\n\nA new documentary 'Stolen Children' by Martyna Wojciechowska and Jowita Baraniecka, which premiered in Warsaw at the WatchDocs festival, explores this inhuman practice.\n\nGeorgia, Spain and the entire Eastern Bloc\n\n\"There are numerous known cases in Spain. And these places in the world are many. Certainly the entire Eastern Bloc and all post-Soviet countries have experienced such situations, the inhabitants of these countries. But in Georgia, the scale is incredible and striking, because we are talking about a country with a population of 3.5 million, and at the moment there are 100,000 registered mothers who are looking for their children in such a small country. Such a number is striking, and we still don't really know how many there could be,\" Martyna Wojciechowska told Euronews.\n\nThe directors tell two interconnecting stories in their film. Firstly, that of investigative journalist Tamuna Museridze, who, after the death of her mother, learns that she was adopted. She decides to look for her biological parents, and along the way finds herself on the trail of a criminal ring that has been operating since the 1970s. As she reveals - everyone took part in it: nurses, doctors, taxi drivers.... The women gave birth to healthy babies, and after about three days, they were told that the babies had died.\n\n\"I'm happy for the premiere and I'm sure that the mothers of those children who were sold abroad will find a way to contact us (...) but of course I'm also ashamed that such things are happening in Georgia,\" says Museridze.\n\nSearching for relatives\n\nThe second story is about twins, Ano and Amy, who found each other on social media, although they had no idea they were adopted before. Now, like Tamuna, they want to help people find their biological family.\n\n\"This film I have no doubt will start an avalanche and a great many people will find out in general that such a procedure took place. A lot of people will start looking for the truth about themselves, their families, their roots,\" Wojciechowska adds.\n\nStolen Children will be available to see on HBO Max on 12 December.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>There are thousand of stories of children stolen and illegally sold for adoption. Across Europe, it's estimated around 100,000 mothers were told during a period dating back to the 1970s that their newborn sons and daughters had died and their bodies were never released to them. <\/p>\n<p>A new documentary 'Stolen Children' by Martyna Wojciechowska and Jowita Baraniecka, which premiered in Warsaw at the WatchDocs festival, explores this inhuman practice.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//54//69//808x454_cmsv2_b497d74d-3a99-5ac4-a8db-79fee1f117cd-9575469.jpg/" alt=\"Jowita Baranieckie and Martyna Wojciechowska, directors of the film &#x27;Stolen Children&#x27;.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/384x216_cmsv2_b497d74d-3a99-5ac4-a8db-79fee1f117cd-9575469.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/640x360_cmsv2_b497d74d-3a99-5ac4-a8db-79fee1f117cd-9575469.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/750x422_cmsv2_b497d74d-3a99-5ac4-a8db-79fee1f117cd-9575469.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/828x466_cmsv2_b497d74d-3a99-5ac4-a8db-79fee1f117cd-9575469.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/1080x608_cmsv2_b497d74d-3a99-5ac4-a8db-79fee1f117cd-9575469.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/1200x675_cmsv2_b497d74d-3a99-5ac4-a8db-79fee1f117cd-9575469.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/1920x1080_cmsv2_b497d74d-3a99-5ac4-a8db-79fee1f117cd-9575469.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Jowita Baranieckie and Martyna Wojciechowska, directors of the film &#x27;Stolen Children&#x27;.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews \/ fot. Pawe&#x142; G&#x142;ogowski<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>Georgia, Spain and the entire Eastern Bloc<\/h2>\n<p>\"There are numerous known cases in Spain. And these places in the world are many. Certainly the entire Eastern Bloc and all post-Soviet countries have experienced such situations, the inhabitants of these countries. But in Georgia, the scale is incredible and striking, because we are talking about a country with a population of 3.5 million, and at the moment there are 100,000 registered mothers who are looking for their children in such a small country. Such a number is striking, and we still don't really know how many there could be,\" Martyna Wojciechowska told Euronews.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//54//69//808x454_cmsv2_35ec2a80-e0f6-5da3-a987-8e2c92cee5f6-9575469.jpg/" alt=\"Investigative journalist Tamuna Museridze, protagonist of the film &#x27;Stolen Children&#x27;.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/384x216_cmsv2_35ec2a80-e0f6-5da3-a987-8e2c92cee5f6-9575469.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/640x360_cmsv2_35ec2a80-e0f6-5da3-a987-8e2c92cee5f6-9575469.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/750x422_cmsv2_35ec2a80-e0f6-5da3-a987-8e2c92cee5f6-9575469.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/828x466_cmsv2_35ec2a80-e0f6-5da3-a987-8e2c92cee5f6-9575469.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/1080x608_cmsv2_35ec2a80-e0f6-5da3-a987-8e2c92cee5f6-9575469.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/1200x675_cmsv2_35ec2a80-e0f6-5da3-a987-8e2c92cee5f6-9575469.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/1920x1080_cmsv2_35ec2a80-e0f6-5da3-a987-8e2c92cee5f6-9575469.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Investigative journalist Tamuna Museridze, the protagonist of the film Stolen Children.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews \/ fot. Pawe&#x142; G&#x142;ogowski<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The directors tell two interconnecting stories in their film. Firstly, that of investigative journalist Tamuna Museridze, who, after the death of her mother, learns that she was adopted. She decides to look for her biological parents, and along the way finds herself on the trail of a criminal ring that has been operating since the 1970s. As she reveals - everyone took part in it: nurses, doctors, taxi drivers.... The women gave birth to healthy babies, and after about three days, they were told that the babies had died.<\/p>\n<p>\"I'm happy for the premiere and I'm sure that the mothers of those children who were sold abroad will find a way to contact us (...) but of course I'm also ashamed that such things are happening in Georgia,\" says Museridze.<\/p>\n<h2>Searching for relatives<\/h2>\n<p>The second story is about twins, Ano and Amy, who found each other on social media, although they had no idea they were adopted before. Now, like Tamuna, they want to help people find their biological family.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//54//69//808x454_cmsv2_461ab505-41ea-5990-a4a2-d0a629df7792-9575469.jpg/" alt=\"Amy and Ano, protagonists of the film &#x27;Stolen Children&#x27;.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/384x216_cmsv2_461ab505-41ea-5990-a4a2-d0a629df7792-9575469.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/640x360_cmsv2_461ab505-41ea-5990-a4a2-d0a629df7792-9575469.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/750x422_cmsv2_461ab505-41ea-5990-a4a2-d0a629df7792-9575469.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/828x466_cmsv2_461ab505-41ea-5990-a4a2-d0a629df7792-9575469.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/1080x608_cmsv2_461ab505-41ea-5990-a4a2-d0a629df7792-9575469.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/1200x675_cmsv2_461ab505-41ea-5990-a4a2-d0a629df7792-9575469.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/1920x1080_cmsv2_461ab505-41ea-5990-a4a2-d0a629df7792-9575469.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Amy and Ano, the protagonists of the film Stolen Children.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews \/ fot. Pawe&#x142; G&#x142;ogowski<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\"This film I have no doubt will start an avalanche and a great many people will find out in general that such a procedure took place. A lot of people will start looking for the truth about themselves, their families, their roots,\" Wojciechowska adds.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//54//69//808x454_cmsv2_24de00e1-6b3f-5c8a-a1af-371ed5d4a698-9575469.jpg/" alt=\"Special screening of the film &#x27;Stolen Children&#x27; by Martyna Wojciechowska and Jowita Baraniecka.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/384x216_cmsv2_24de00e1-6b3f-5c8a-a1af-371ed5d4a698-9575469.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/640x360_cmsv2_24de00e1-6b3f-5c8a-a1af-371ed5d4a698-9575469.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/750x422_cmsv2_24de00e1-6b3f-5c8a-a1af-371ed5d4a698-9575469.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/828x466_cmsv2_24de00e1-6b3f-5c8a-a1af-371ed5d4a698-9575469.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/1080x608_cmsv2_24de00e1-6b3f-5c8a-a1af-371ed5d4a698-9575469.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/1200x675_cmsv2_24de00e1-6b3f-5c8a-a1af-371ed5d4a698-9575469.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/1920x1080_cmsv2_24de00e1-6b3f-5c8a-a1af-371ed5d4a698-9575469.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Special screening of the film &#x22;Stolen Children&#x22; by Martyna Wojciechowska and Jowita Baraniecka.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Euronews \/ fot. Pawe&#x142; G&#x142;ogowski<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><strong><em>Stolen Children<\/em><\/strong> will be available to see on HBO Max on 12 December.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1765357738,"updatedAt":1765469332,"publishedAt":1765469327,"firstPublishedAt":1765469327,"lastPublishedAt":1765469327,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/54\/69\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_671bbbb9-25c7-5641-9f86-3bae412db608-9575469.jpg","altText":"World premiere of the documentary film 'Stolen Children', directed by Jowita Baraniecka and Martyna WOjciechowska.","caption":"World premiere of the documentary film 'Stolen Children', directed by Jowita Baraniecka and Martyna WOjciechowska.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews \/ fot. Pawe\u0142 G\u0142ogowski","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3278,"urlSafeValue":"burzec","title":"Marcelina Burzec","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[{"id":3491,"urlSafeValue":"pawel.glogowski@euronews.com","title":"Pawel Glogowski","twitter":null}]},"keywords":[{"id":124,"slug":"georgia","urlSafeValue":"georgia","title":"Georgia","titleRaw":"Georgia"},{"id":9387,"slug":"protection-of-children","urlSafeValue":"protection-of-children","title":"Protection of children","titleRaw":"Protection of children"},{"id":12073,"slug":"children","urlSafeValue":"children","title":"Children","titleRaw":"Children"},{"id":7586,"slug":"documentary","urlSafeValue":"documentary","title":"Documentary","titleRaw":"Documentary"},{"id":14906,"slug":"skandal","urlSafeValue":"skandal","title":"Scandal","titleRaw":"Scandal"},{"id":16852,"slug":"adoption","urlSafeValue":"adoption","title":"Adoption","titleRaw":"Adoption"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":4}],"related":[{"id":2847918},{"id":2851980},{"id":2851507}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"mUuKvdzauw4","dailymotionId":"x9vib4i"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/31\/31\/35\/02\/ED_PYR_3131352_20251211141414.mp4","editor":"","duration":116920,"filesizeBytes":18875641,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/31\/31\/35\/02\/SHD_PYR_3131352_20251211141414.mp4","editor":"","duration":116920,"filesizeBytes":27629147,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"1080p","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/31\/31\/35\/02\/FHD_PYR_3131352_20251211141414.mp4","editor":"","duration":116920,"filesizeBytes":91489772,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"culture-news","urlSafeValue":"culture-news","title":"Culture News","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/culture-news\/culture-news"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"culture","verticals":[{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"},"themes":[{"id":"culture-news","urlSafeValue":"culture-news","title":"Culture news","url":"\/culture\/culture-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":53,"urlSafeValue":"culture-news","title":"Culture news"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"pl","storyId":9575469,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/culture\/2025\/12\/11\/stolen-children-new-documentary-explores-fate-of-infants-classed-as-dead-but-sold-for-adop","lastModified":1765469327},{"id":2853204,"cid":9578777,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NUCLEAR POWER PLANT POLAND","daletPyramidId":3564179,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"European Commission gives green light to construction of first nuclear power plant in Poland","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"EU greenlights construction of first nuclear power plant in Poland","titleListing2":"European Commission gives green light to construction of first nuclear power plant in Poland","leadin":"According to the government, energy from the plant is expected to be cheaper than current alternatives and paves the way for Poland to have a stable and environmentally friendly energy system.","summary":"According to the government, energy from the plant is expected to be cheaper than current alternatives and paves the way for Poland to have a stable and environmentally friendly energy system.","keySentence":"","url":"european-commission-gives-green-light-to-construction-of-first-nuclear-power-plant-in-pola","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/11\/european-commission-gives-green-light-to-construction-of-first-nuclear-power-plant-in-pola","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The European Commission has approved a support package for the construction and operation of Poland's first nuclear power plant (NPP), declaring it compatible with EU state aid rules.\n\nThe government in Warsaw has secured funds for the construction of the NPP, which is expected to cost around 192 billion z\u0142oty.\n\nAuthorities in Warsaw said they aimed to support the EU investment by contributing capital of around \u20ac14 billion, which would cover 30% of the total project cost. Later in December, 4.6 billion z\u0142oty (\u20ac1.9 billion) will go to the company leading the project.\n\nThe power station will be built in the northern municipality of Choczewo, close to the Baltic Sea coast, and will be one of the most important elements of the country's energy transition.\n\nThe implementation of the investment is being handled by Poland's NPP developer Polskie Elektrownie J\u0105drowe (PEJ). According to an amendment to the law of February 2025, the company is to receive public support of up to 60.2 billion z\u0142oty (\u20ac14 billion) by 2030.\n\n\"Construction will be able to being with a kick-start as early as December,\" Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.\n\n\"The construction is starting and, as you can guess, this was an absolutely necessary condition and not at all that easy to obtain.\"\n\nWhen will the plant be built?\n\nPoland is implementing the construction of its first NPP in cooperation with the US companies Westinghouse and Bechtel. According to the schedule, the nuclear concrete for the first reactor is planned to be poured in 2028. The power plant will eventually consist of three reactors using AP1000 technology, each with a capacity of 1,250 MWe.\n\nThe first unit is set to be completed in 2035, with electricity flowing to the grid in 2036. The third unit is to be operational by 2038.\n\nAt the beginning of October, PEJ vice president Piotr Piela said that 30 commercial banks from all over the world had expressed initial interest in participating in the financing.\n\nProjections for 2040 indicate that the power plant will reach around 88.5% capacity, which will supply Poland with reliable and stable electricity, while industry will be able to secure energy for many years to come.\n\nAn investment in the future\n\nThe project is key to strengthening Poland's energy self-reliance and reducing CO2 emissions. Deputy Minister of Energy and Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, Wojciech Wrochna, said that the construction of the nuclear power plant is a step that will provide long-term benefits for the entire energy sector.\n\n\"It is important that energy from a nuclear power plant gives security, grid stability and that it is clean energy. All these elements are taken into account in the Commission's decision,\" he said at a press conference.\n\n\"The power plant will operate at a very high load and will do so at a relatively low cost.\"\n\nA choice that is good for the environment\n\nAs Professor Miko\u0142aj Oettingen of the Department of Energy and Fuels at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow said in an interview with Euronews, Poland was already considering the construction of an NPP 15 years ago.\n\nThe implementation process has been accelerated recently, as the right economic and political conditions have emerged and decision-makers have recognised the urgent need to include nuclear power in the national energy mix.\n\n\"Nuclear power is a zero-carbon energy source that is essential for the stable operation of the electricity system. It does not emit carbon dioxide and its implementation will allow replacing long-expired coal-fired power plants, thus reducing CO2 emissions and supporting the achievement of climate goals,\" Oettingen said.\n\nHe pointed out that nuclear power plants are the most efficient energy generators, independent of weather conditions. Implementing nuclear power in Poland will therefore provide a stable source of baseload energy that can operate for another 60-80 years.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>The European Commission has approved a support package for the construction and operation of Poland's first nuclear power plant (NPP), declaring it compatible with EU state aid rules. <\/p>\n<p>The government in Warsaw has secured funds for the construction of the NPP, which is expected to cost around 192 billion z\u0142oty. <\/p>\n<p>Authorities in Warsaw said they aimed to support the EU investment by contributing capital of around \u20ac14 billion, which would cover 30% of the total project cost. Later in December, 4.6 billion z\u0142oty(\u20ac1.9 billion) will go to the company leading the project.<\/p>\n<p>The power station will be built in the northern municipality of Choczewo, close to the Baltic Sea coast, and will be one of the most important elements of the country's energy transition. <\/p>\n<p>The implementation of the investment is being handled by Poland's NPP developer Polskie Elektrownie J\u0105drowe (PEJ). According to an amendment to the law of February 2025, the company is to receive public support of up to 60.2 billion z\u0142oty (\u20ac14 billion) by 2030.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//87//77//808x539_cmsv2_9f4e5c68-1a02-5908-9a74-20d925f4e544-9578777.jpg/" alt=\"Poland&#x27;s Prime Minister Donald Tusk attends a press conference in Berlin, 1 December, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/384x256_cmsv2_9f4e5c68-1a02-5908-9a74-20d925f4e544-9578777.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/640x427_cmsv2_9f4e5c68-1a02-5908-9a74-20d925f4e544-9578777.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/750x500_cmsv2_9f4e5c68-1a02-5908-9a74-20d925f4e544-9578777.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/828x552_cmsv2_9f4e5c68-1a02-5908-9a74-20d925f4e544-9578777.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/1080x720_cmsv2_9f4e5c68-1a02-5908-9a74-20d925f4e544-9578777.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/1200x800_cmsv2_9f4e5c68-1a02-5908-9a74-20d925f4e544-9578777.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/1920x1280_cmsv2_9f4e5c68-1a02-5908-9a74-20d925f4e544-9578777.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Poland&#x27;s Prime Minister Donald Tusk attends a press conference in Berlin, 1 December, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\"Construction will be able to being with a kick-start as early as December,\" Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.<\/p>\n<p>\"The construction is starting and, as you can guess, this was an absolutely necessary condition and not at all that easy to obtain.\"<\/p>\n<h2>When will the plant be built?<\/h2>\n<p>Poland is implementing the construction of its first NPP in cooperation with the US companies Westinghouse and Bechtel. According to the schedule, the nuclear concrete for the first reactor is planned to be poured in 2028. The power plant will eventually consist of three reactors using AP1000 technology, each with a capacity of 1,250 MWe. <\/p>\n<p>The first unit is set to be completed in 2035, with electricity flowing to the grid in 2036. The third unit is to be operational by 2038.<\/p>\n<p>At the beginning of October, PEJ vice president Piotr Piela said that 30 commercial banks from all over the world had expressed initial interest in participating in the financing.<\/p>\n<p>Projections for 2040 indicate that the power plant will reach around 88.5% capacity, which will supply Poland with reliable and stable electricity, while industry will be able to secure energy for many years to come.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//12//05//exclusive-poland-sees-new-influx-of-refugees-arriving-from-western-europe/">Exclusive: Poland sees new influx of refugees arriving from western Europe<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//12//04//euronews-exclusive-state-tribunal-for-polands-former-pm-and-members-of-his-government/">Euronews exclusive: State tribunal for Poland's former PM and members of his government?<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>An investment in the future<\/h2>\n<p>The project is key to strengthening Poland's energy self-reliance and reducing CO2 emissions. Deputy Minister of Energy and Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, Wojciech Wrochna, said that the construction of the nuclear power plant is a step that will provide long-term benefits for the entire energy sector.<\/p>\n<p>\"It is important that energy from a nuclear power plant gives security, grid stability and that it is clean energy. All these elements are taken into account in the Commission's decision,\" he said at a press conference.<\/p>\n<p>\"The power plant will operate at a very high load and will do so at a relatively low cost.\" <\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//87//77//808x539_cmsv2_75a431a1-d7f0-5de8-bca1-8ef4f7519655-9578777.jpg/" alt=\"Smoke rises from chimneys of the Turow power plant located by the Turow lignite coal mine near the town of Bogatynia, 19 November, 2019\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/384x256_cmsv2_75a431a1-d7f0-5de8-bca1-8ef4f7519655-9578777.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/640x427_cmsv2_75a431a1-d7f0-5de8-bca1-8ef4f7519655-9578777.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/750x500_cmsv2_75a431a1-d7f0-5de8-bca1-8ef4f7519655-9578777.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/828x552_cmsv2_75a431a1-d7f0-5de8-bca1-8ef4f7519655-9578777.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/1080x720_cmsv2_75a431a1-d7f0-5de8-bca1-8ef4f7519655-9578777.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/1200x800_cmsv2_75a431a1-d7f0-5de8-bca1-8ef4f7519655-9578777.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/1920x1280_cmsv2_75a431a1-d7f0-5de8-bca1-8ef4f7519655-9578777.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Smoke rises from chimneys of the Turow power plant located by the Turow lignite coal mine near the town of Bogatynia, 19 November, 2019<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h3>A choice that is good for the environment<\/h3>\n<p>As Professor Miko\u0142aj Oettingen of the Department of Energy and Fuels at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow said in an interview with Euronews, Poland was already considering the construction of an NPP 15 years ago. <\/p>\n<p>The implementation process has been accelerated recently, as the right economic and political conditions have emerged and decision-makers have recognised the urgent need to include nuclear power in the national energy mix.<\/p>\n<p>\"Nuclear power is a zero-carbon energy source that is essential for the stable operation of the electricity system. It does not emit carbon dioxide and its implementation will allow replacing long-expired coal-fired power plants, thus reducing CO2 emissions and supporting the achievement of climate goals,\" Oettingen said.<\/p>\n<p>He pointed out that nuclear power plants are the most efficient energy generators, independent of weather conditions. Implementing nuclear power in Poland will therefore provide a stable source of baseload energy that can operate for another 60-80 years.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1765389401,"updatedAt":1765447155,"publishedAt":1765431000,"firstPublishedAt":1765431000,"lastPublishedAt":1765431007,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5bb92378-2571-539b-be02-72c2ffa9a965-9578777.jpg","altText":"Visualisation of the first nuclear power plant in Poland","caption":"Visualisation of the first nuclear power plant in Poland","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"\u0179r\u00f3d\u0142o: Polskie Elektrownie J\u0105drowe\/ materia\u0142y prasowe","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1909,"height":1074},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_75a431a1-d7f0-5de8-bca1-8ef4f7519655-9578777.jpg","altText":"Smoke rises from chimneys of the Turow power plant located by the Turow lignite coal mine near the town of Bogatynia, 19 November, 2019","caption":"Smoke rises from chimneys of the Turow power plant located by the Turow lignite coal mine near the town of Bogatynia, 19 November, 2019","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/87\/77\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_9f4e5c68-1a02-5908-9a74-20d925f4e544-9578777.jpg","altText":"Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk attends a press conference in Berlin, 1 December, 2025","caption":"Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk attends a press conference in Berlin, 1 December, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3532,"urlSafeValue":"agata.todorow@ext.euronews.com","title":"Agata Todorow","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":216,"slug":"nuclear-energy","urlSafeValue":"nuclear-energy","title":"Nuclear Energy","titleRaw":"Nuclear Energy"},{"id":230,"slug":"poland","urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","titleRaw":"Poland"},{"id":24324,"slug":"carbon-emissions","urlSafeValue":"carbon-emissions","title":"carbon emissions","titleRaw":"carbon emissions"},{"id":25900,"slug":"electricity","urlSafeValue":"electricity","title":"electricity","titleRaw":"electricity"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":2},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2853676}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"},{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"pl","storyId":9577080,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/11\/european-commission-gives-green-light-to-construction-of-first-nuclear-power-plant-in-pola","lastModified":1765431007},{"id":2852241,"cid":9573171,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"CUBE - POLAND AND GERMANY","daletPyramidId":3516585,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Did Tusk say that Poland will pay for Germany's World War II crimes?","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Did Donald Tusk say Poland will pay for Germany's WWII crimes?","titleListing2":"Did Tusk say that Poland will pay for Germany's World War II crimes?","leadin":"Viral claims online have misrepresented Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's remark that Warsaw would pay for the Polish victims of WWII, and not Germany, amidst an ongoing reparations debate with Berlin.","summary":"Viral claims online have misrepresented Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's remark that Warsaw would pay for the Polish victims of WWII, and not Germany, amidst an ongoing reparations debate with Berlin.","keySentence":"","url":"did-tusk-say-that-poland-will-pay-for-germanys-world-war-ii-crimes","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2025\/12\/08\/did-tusk-say-that-poland-will-pay-for-germanys-world-war-ii-crimes","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A series of recent posts on Facebook and X have accused Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk of agreeing that \"Poland will pay for the Germans\", following high-level talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that touched on the long-standing issue of World War II reparations.\u00a0\n\nThe phrase appeared in dozens of posts across platforms and became the dominant narrative in online discussions, according to a report by Res Futura, a Polish NGO specialising in information security.\u00a0\n\nA review of what Tusk actually said in the press conference suggests that several of the claims circulating about him are misleading.\n\nThe Cube, Euronews' fact-checking team, found, alongside analysis from Res Futura, that online reactions often focused on a fragment of Tusk's comments and ignored the wider context.\n\nWhat did Tusk say?\n\nAt the press conference in Berlin last week, Tusk urged Germany to speed up payments for roughly 50,000 Polish survivors of WWII atrocities who are still alive.\n\nPoland's former ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) has long demanded Germany pay reparations for its occupation of Poland in WWII, which devastated Warsaw and killed about one-fifth of Poland's pre-war population.\n\nPiS has calculated the amount to be 6.2 trillion z\u0142oty (approximately \u20ac1.5 trillion in today's exchange rate). Tusk and his Civic Coalition party have stopped short of demanding the full amount, and instead called on Berlin to find different solutions, including paying support for the thousands of Polish survivors of the Third Reich.\n\nSince he first discussed the idea with Berlin, the Polish leader said on 1 December that at least 10,000 survivors had died.\n\nAs he urged Berlin to speed up payments, Tusk added that if they did not pay quickly, \"I will consider Poland meeting this need from its own resources\".\n\nAccording to Res Futura, Tusk's comments spread widely on social media through the phrase \"Poland pays for the Germans\". Most posts came from accounts connected to PiS and were often detached from the wider context of what Tusk said.\n\nPiotr Buras, head of the European Council of Foreign Relations' Warsaw office, told The Cube that Tusk's remark was designed to exert pressure on Germany rather than suggest Poland was going to pay Germany's bills.\u00a0\n\n\"It is about shaming the Germans and not about promising to pay anything,\u201d Buras said. \"These are about 50,000 people who are very old. If Germany is unable to cover this symbolic amount, Poland will take care of its own citizens.\"\n\nThe reparations debate\n\nOne legal expert told The Cube that the question of whether Poland can still demand reparations cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.\u00a0\n\nGermany argues that the legal issue was settled twice: first in 1953 when Poland renounced its claims to compensation in an agreement with East Germany, and then again in 1990, when Germany reunited and no claim was brought against the new federal republic. Poland was not a signatory to the reunification agreement.\n\nLouis Le Hardy de Beaulieu, professor of International law at l'UCLouvain, said that \"from these two standpoints, Germany argues there is no legal basis to go further\" and that the argument \"has credible elements\".\n\nPoland, however, has asserted that the 1953 declaration is invalid as it was made whilst the country was under Soviet control.\n\n\"If we accepted that argument, we would have to revisit every treaty ever signed under a regime different from the one currently in power,\" Le Hardy de Beaulieu told The Cube.\n\nAccording to former Polish Defence Minister and independent politician Jan Parys, Tusk has ignored a motion almost unanimously passed by the Polish parliament that Germany should pay fully for reparations.\u00a0\n\n\"There is a consensus at home that the issue of the war was never truly settled,\" Pary told The Cube. \"The German state paid large sums to Great Britain, the United States and France, but with Poland, we received only a minimal fund for former concentration camp prisoners.\"\n\n\"Tusk put forward a decision that went against the decision of the Polish Parliament,\" he added.\n\nBeyond legal questions, Buras said that Poland demanding full reparations from Germany would risk a political crisis and threaten co-operation between the two countries.\n\n\"It would be the only issue which would dominate this relationship,\" he told The Cube.\u00a0\n\nIs Tusk 'pro-German'?\n\nAccording to Res Futura, many of the viral posts on Facebook and X also accuse Tusk of being a \"pro-German politician\" and a \"traitor\", claims that have been levelled at Tusk for years.\u00a0\n\n\"Those who want to portray Tusk as a German agent and someone who is sacrificing Polish interests, they will do it regardless of what his intention is, what his policy is,\" Buras said.\n\n\u201cGermany stands, in a way, for Western Europe in the Polish discourse,\" he added. \"And Tusk is seen as a pro-European politician.\"\n\nParys told The Cube that this perception is rooted in Tusk's past decisions when he previously led Poland, including his close cooperation with Angela Merkel and disagreements over security policy.\u00a0\n\n\"Poland is divided,\" he said. \"The opposition favours cooperation with the United States, while the government, led by Donald Tusk, prefers cooperation with Germany.\"\n\n","htmlText":"<p>A series of recent posts on Facebook and X have accused Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk of agreeing that \"Poland will pay for the Germans\", following high-level talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that touched on the long-standing issue of World War II reparations. <\/p>\n<p>The phrase appeared in dozens of posts across platforms and became the dominant narrative in online discussions, according to a<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////resfutura.pl//021225-2///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"> <strong>report by Res Futura<\/strong><\/a>, a Polish NGO specialising in information security. <\/p>\n<p>A review of what Tusk actually said in the press conference suggests that several of the claims circulating about him are misleading.<\/p>\n<p>The Cube, Euronews' fact-checking team, found, alongside analysis from Res Futura, that online reactions often focused on a fragment of Tusk's comments and ignored the wider context.<\/p>\n<h2>What did Tusk say?<\/h2>\n<p>At the press conference in Berlin last week, Tusk urged Germany to speed up payments for roughly 50,000 Polish survivors of WWII atrocities who are still alive.<\/p>\n<p>Poland's former ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) has long demanded Germany pay reparations for its occupation of Poland in WWII, which devastated Warsaw and <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////web.archive.org//web//20130201065133//http:////niniwa2.cba.pl//polska_1939_1945.htm/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong>killed about one-fifth of Poland's pre-war population<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>PiS has calculated the amount to be 6.2 trillion z\u0142oty (approximately \u20ac1.5 trillion in today's exchange rate). Tusk and his Civic Coalition party have stopped short of demanding the full amount, and instead called on Berlin to find different solutions, including paying support for the thousands of Polish survivors of the Third Reich. <\/p>\n<p>Since he first discussed the idea with Berlin, the Polish leader said on 1 December that at least 10,000 survivors had died.<\/p>\n<p>As he urged Berlin to speed up payments, Tusk added that if they did not pay quickly, \"I will consider Poland meeting this need from its own resources\".<\/p>\n<p>According to Res Futura, Tusk's comments spread widely on social media through the phrase \"Poland pays for the Germans\". Most posts came from accounts connected to PiS and were often detached from the wider context of what Tusk said. <\/p>\n<p>Piotr Buras, head of the European Council of Foreign Relations' Warsaw office, told The Cube that Tusk's remark was designed to exert pressure on Germany rather than suggest Poland was going to pay Germany's bills. <\/p>\n<p>\"It is about shaming the Germans and not about promising to pay anything,\u201d Buras said. \"These are about 50,000 people who are very old. If Germany is unable to cover this symbolic amount, Poland will take care of its own citizens.\"<\/p>\n<h2>The reparations debate<\/h2>\n<p>One legal expert told The Cube that the question of whether Poland can still demand reparations cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. <\/p>\n<p>Germany argues that the legal issue was settled twice: first in 1953 when Poland renounced its claims to compensation in an agreement with East Germany, and then again in 1990, when Germany reunited and no claim was brought against the new federal republic. Poland was not a signatory to the reunification agreement.<\/p>\n<p>Louis Le Hardy de Beaulieu, professor of International law at l'UCLouvain, said that \"from these two standpoints, Germany argues there is no legal basis to go further\" and that the argument \"has credible elements\". <\/p>\n<p>Poland, however, has asserted that the 1953 declaration is invalid as it was made whilst the country was under Soviet control. <\/p>\n<p>\"If we accepted that argument, we would have to revisit every treaty ever signed under a regime different from the one currently in power,\" Le Hardy de Beaulieu told The Cube. <\/p>\n<p>According to former Polish Defence Minister and independent politician Jan Parys, Tusk has ignored a motion almost unanimously passed by the Polish parliament that Germany should pay fully for reparations. <\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.667\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//31//71//808x539_cmsv2_b2d14bb4-9c2c-5a41-9b27-8c5a0f0329cf-9573171.jpg/" alt=\"German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, left, welcomes Poland&#x27;s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, right, for the German-Polish government consultations at the Chancellery in Berlin.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/31\/71\/384x256_cmsv2_b2d14bb4-9c2c-5a41-9b27-8c5a0f0329cf-9573171.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/31\/71\/640x427_cmsv2_b2d14bb4-9c2c-5a41-9b27-8c5a0f0329cf-9573171.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/31\/71\/750x500_cmsv2_b2d14bb4-9c2c-5a41-9b27-8c5a0f0329cf-9573171.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/31\/71\/828x552_cmsv2_b2d14bb4-9c2c-5a41-9b27-8c5a0f0329cf-9573171.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/31\/71\/1080x720_cmsv2_b2d14bb4-9c2c-5a41-9b27-8c5a0f0329cf-9573171.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/31\/71\/1200x800_cmsv2_b2d14bb4-9c2c-5a41-9b27-8c5a0f0329cf-9573171.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/31\/71\/1920x1281_cmsv2_b2d14bb4-9c2c-5a41-9b27-8c5a0f0329cf-9573171.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, left, welcomes Poland&#x27;s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, right, for the German-Polish government consultations at the Chancellery in Berlin.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\"There is a consensus at home that the issue of the war was never truly settled,\" Pary told The Cube. \"The German state paid large sums to Great Britain, the United States and France, but with Poland, we received only a minimal fund for former concentration camp prisoners.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"Tusk put forward a decision that went against the decision of the Polish Parliament,\" he added.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond legal questions, Buras said that Poland demanding full reparations from Germany would risk a political crisis and threaten co-operation between the two countries. <\/p>\n<p>\"It would be the only issue which would dominate this relationship,\" he told The Cube. <\/p>\n<h2>Is Tusk 'pro-German'?<\/h2>\n<p>According to Res Futura, many of the viral posts on Facebook and X also accuse Tusk of being a \"pro-German politician\" and a \"traitor\", claims that have been levelled at Tusk for years. <\/p>\n<p>\"Those who want to portray Tusk as a German agent and someone who is sacrificing Polish interests, they will do it regardless of what his intention is, what his policy is,\" Buras said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGermany stands, in a way, for Western Europe in the Polish discourse,\" he added. \"And Tusk is seen as a pro-European politician.\"<\/p>\n<p>Parys told The Cube that this perception is rooted in Tusk's past decisions when he previously led Poland, including his close cooperation with Angela Merkel and disagreements over security policy. <\/p>\n<p>\"Poland is divided,\" he said. \"The opposition favours cooperation with the United States, while the government, led by Donald Tusk, prefers cooperation with Germany.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1764941980,"updatedAt":1765210437,"publishedAt":1765210407,"firstPublishedAt":1765210407,"lastPublishedAt":1765210407,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/31\/71\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_41a81d2e-e3ee-5d3d-9a82-b19679b3bda8-9573171.jpg","altText":"Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, left, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attend a joint press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin.","caption":"Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, left, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attend a joint press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1125},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/31\/71\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b2d14bb4-9c2c-5a41-9b27-8c5a0f0329cf-9573171.jpg","altText":"German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, left, welcomes Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, right, for the German-Polish government consultations at the Chancellery in Berlin.","caption":"German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, left, welcomes Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, right, for the German-Polish government consultations at the Chancellery in Berlin.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1334}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2940,"urlSafeValue":"paternoster","title":"Tamsin Paternoster","twitter":null},{"id":3328,"urlSafeValue":"schumann","title":"Noa Schumann","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":26642,"slug":"fact-checking","urlSafeValue":"fact-checking","title":"Fact checking","titleRaw":"Fact checking"},{"id":15332,"slug":"thecube","urlSafeValue":"thecube","title":"TheCube","titleRaw":"TheCube"},{"id":4814,"slug":"world-war-ii","urlSafeValue":"world-war-ii","title":"World War II","titleRaw":"World War II"},{"id":12954,"slug":"reparations","urlSafeValue":"reparations","title":"Reparations","titleRaw":"Reparations"},{"id":125,"slug":"germany","urlSafeValue":"germany","title":"Germany","titleRaw":"Germany"},{"id":230,"slug":"poland","urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","titleRaw":"Poland"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2850304}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"dailymotionId":"x9v9daw"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/31\/14\/27\/07\/ED_PYR_3114277_20251208161120.mp4","editor":"","duration":116800,"filesizeBytes":19266488,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/31\/14\/27\/07\/SHD_PYR_3114277_20251208161120.mp4","editor":"","duration":116800,"filesizeBytes":28170812,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"1080p","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/31\/14\/27\/07\/FHD_PYR_3114277_20251208161120.mp4","editor":"","duration":116800,"filesizeBytes":90762053,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"the-cube","urlSafeValue":"the-cube","title":"The Cube","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-decoded\/the-cube"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"},"themes":[{"id":"europe-decoded","urlSafeValue":"europe-decoded","title":"Europe Decoded","url":"\/my-europe\/europe-decoded"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":58,"urlSafeValue":"europe-decoded","title":"Europe Decoded"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/my-europe\/2025\/12\/08\/did-tusk-say-that-poland-will-pay-for-germanys-world-war-ii-crimes","lastModified":1765210407},{"id":2852180,"cid":9572968,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"Poland reports new influx of refugees - from Germany","daletPyramidId":3514935,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Exclusive: Poland sees new influx of refugees arriving from western Europe","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Exclusive: Poland sees new influx of refugees arriving from the West","titleListing2":"Exclusive: Poland reports new refugee influx from the West","leadin":"Polish ambassador Jan Tombi\u0144ski reports a new trend of refugees arriving from western Europe as Warsaw reviews its asylum regulations and border controls with Germany.","summary":"Polish ambassador Jan Tombi\u0144ski reports a new trend of refugees arriving from western Europe as Warsaw reviews its asylum regulations and border controls with Germany.","keySentence":"","url":"exclusive-poland-sees-new-influx-of-refugees-arriving-from-western-europe","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/05\/exclusive-poland-sees-new-influx-of-refugees-arriving-from-western-europe","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Poland is experiencing a new influx of refugees arriving from western Europe rather than from the east, the country's ambassador to Germany Jan Tombi\u0144ski said on Friday.\n\nTombi\u0144ski told a press conference at the Polish Embassy in Berlin that border police had reported witnessing \"a new phenomenon\" in recent days.\n\n\"Refugees are coming to Poland from the West,\" Tombi\u0144ski said. These are people who have tried to obtain asylum in other parts of Europe and now want to apply in Poland.\n\nUntil now, reports had focused on refugee flows from Belarus, which some have described as a Russian and Belarusian sabotage operation.\n\nThe EU accused Belarusian leader Aliaksandr Lukashenka of bringing migrants from crisis regions to the EU's external border to pressure the West.\n\nBut \"this border is tighter than any other border in Europe,\" Tombi\u0144ski said.\n\nNumbers still limited\n\nThe westward arrivals are not coming in their thousands, Tombi\u0144ski said. Nevertheless, Poland must now address the situation and review its asylum regulations, he added. The country must consider how to reduce Poland's \"attractiveness\" for these migrants.\n\nPolish border guards are working with German police to identify people and prevent illegal border crossings, Tombi\u0144ski said. \"Daily operational cooperation is progressing very well, based on what I know from both sides,\" the ambassador said.\n\nIn October, Poland announced it would extend border controls with Germany until 4 April 2026 to monitor the migration route running from the Baltic states through Poland to western Europe, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwi\u0144ski said.\n\nWarsaw introduced border checks in early July in response to German controls. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has made clear that ending the border checks depends on decisions by the German government.\n\n\"We want to return to Schengen as quickly as possible,\" Tombi\u0144ski confirmed. But German ministers would have to be asked about this. \"We certainly had no interest in introducing border supervision,\" he added.\n\nFollowing Tusk's visit to the German Chancellery on Monday, many observers criticised the cool atmosphere between the Polish delegation and Chancellor Friedrich Merz.\n\nBeyond the unresolved issue of war reparations, border controls were also on the table.\n\nTombi\u0144ski stressed the reparations issue concerns \"lasting support\" for survivors of World War II. Poland does not want an \"accounting operation,\" he said. A one-off payment would not help people in the long term.\n\nEvery day of hesitation costs more than the payments themselves, Tombi\u0144ski argued. \"The cost of doing nothing is higher.\" The issue, he emphasised, is about trust.\n\nUkraine remains common priority\n\nDespite their differences, the neighbouring countries remain united by Russia's war in Ukraine and the need to rebuild the country.\n\n\"Everything that is done for Ukraine also has meaning and consequences for us,\" Tombi\u0144ski said.\n\nThis will be the focus of a meeting between Merz and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is also expected to attend. Merz postponed his trip to Oslo for this meeting.\n\nThe talks will focus on the use of frozen Russian assets. Tombi\u0144ski said he hoped progress would be made, as Russia must pay for the costs of its war in Ukraine, he stressed.\n\nFor Poland, it is crucial that Germany strongly supports Ukraine, Tombi\u0144ski said. The ambassador expressed satisfaction with the ongoing cooperation between the German and Polish armed forces.\n\nGermany is significantly more engaged in Poland than other NATO partners, Tombi\u0144ski noted.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Poland is experiencing a new influx of refugees arriving from western Europe rather than from the east, the country's ambassador to Germany Jan Tombi\u0144ski said on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Tombi\u0144ski told a press conference at the Polish Embassy in Berlin that border police had reported witnessing \"a new phenomenon\" in recent days.<\/p>\n<p>\"Refugees are coming to Poland from the West,\" Tombi\u0144ski said. These are people who have tried to obtain asylum in other parts of Europe and now want to apply in Poland.<\/p>\n<p>Until now, reports had focused on refugee flows from Belarus, which some have described as a Russian and Belarusian sabotage operation. <\/p>\n<p>The EU accused Belarusian leader Aliaksandr Lukashenka of bringing migrants from crisis regions to the EU's external border to pressure the West.<\/p>\n<p>But \"this border is tighter than any other border in Europe,\" Tombi\u0144ski said.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Numbers still limited<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The westward arrivals are not coming in their thousands, Tombi\u0144ski said. Nevertheless, Poland must now address the situation and review its asylum regulations, he added. The country must consider how to reduce Poland's \"attractiveness\" for these migrants.<\/p>\n<p>Polish border guards are working with German police to identify people and prevent illegal border crossings, Tombi\u0144ski said. \"Daily operational cooperation is progressing very well, based on what I know from both sides,\" the ambassador said.<\/p>\n<p>In October, Poland announced it would extend border controls with Germany until 4 April 2026 to monitor the migration route running from the Baltic states through Poland to western Europe, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwi\u0144ski said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//29//68//808x539_cmsv2_76259d22-20e7-5842-937a-08b44222020c-9572968.jpg/" alt=\"A Federal Police officer speaks into his radio as he and a colleague track down a group of migrants who illegally crossed the border from Poland into Germany, 11 October, 2023\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/384x256_cmsv2_76259d22-20e7-5842-937a-08b44222020c-9572968.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/640x427_cmsv2_76259d22-20e7-5842-937a-08b44222020c-9572968.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/750x500_cmsv2_76259d22-20e7-5842-937a-08b44222020c-9572968.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/828x552_cmsv2_76259d22-20e7-5842-937a-08b44222020c-9572968.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/1080x720_cmsv2_76259d22-20e7-5842-937a-08b44222020c-9572968.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/1200x800_cmsv2_76259d22-20e7-5842-937a-08b44222020c-9572968.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/1920x1280_cmsv2_76259d22-20e7-5842-937a-08b44222020c-9572968.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A Federal Police officer speaks into his radio as he and a colleague track down a group of migrants who illegally crossed the border from Poland into Germany, 11 October, 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Warsaw introduced border checks in early July in response to German controls. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has made clear that ending the border checks depends on decisions by the German government.<\/p>\n<p>\"We want to return to Schengen as quickly as possible,\" Tombi\u0144ski confirmed. But German ministers would have to be asked about this. \"We certainly had no interest in introducing border supervision,\" he added.<\/p>\n<p>Following Tusk's visit to the German Chancellery on Monday, many observers criticised the cool atmosphere between the Polish delegation and Chancellor Friedrich Merz.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the unresolved issue of war reparations, border controls were also on the table.<\/p>\n<p>Tombi\u0144ski stressed the reparations issue concerns \"lasting support\" for survivors of World War II. Poland does not want an \"accounting operation,\" he said. A one-off payment would not help people in the long term.<\/p>\n<p>Every day of hesitation costs more than the payments themselves, Tombi\u0144ski argued. \"The cost of doing nothing is higher.\" The issue, he emphasised, is about trust.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//11//14//poland-implements-new-security-measures-at-belarus-border-while-re-opening-two-crossings/">Poland implements new security measures at Belarus border while re-opening two crossings<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2025//09//18//eu-closely-monitors-possible-trade-impact-of-poland-belarus-border-closure/">EU 'closely' monitors possible trade impact of Poland-Belarus border closure<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2><strong>Ukraine remains common priority<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Despite their differences, the neighbouring countries remain united by Russia's war in Ukraine and the need to rebuild the country.<\/p>\n<p>\"Everything that is done for Ukraine also has meaning and consequences for us,\" Tombi\u0144ski said.<\/p>\n<p>This will be the focus of a meeting between Merz and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is also expected to attend. Merz postponed his trip to Oslo for this meeting.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//29//68//808x539_cmsv2_469110a5-658f-55e0-a23d-0c38fbc10b44-9572968.jpg/" alt=\"Ruins of what was the town of Kostyantynivka, 28 November, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/384x256_cmsv2_469110a5-658f-55e0-a23d-0c38fbc10b44-9572968.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/640x427_cmsv2_469110a5-658f-55e0-a23d-0c38fbc10b44-9572968.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/750x500_cmsv2_469110a5-658f-55e0-a23d-0c38fbc10b44-9572968.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/828x552_cmsv2_469110a5-658f-55e0-a23d-0c38fbc10b44-9572968.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/1080x720_cmsv2_469110a5-658f-55e0-a23d-0c38fbc10b44-9572968.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/1200x800_cmsv2_469110a5-658f-55e0-a23d-0c38fbc10b44-9572968.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/1920x1280_cmsv2_469110a5-658f-55e0-a23d-0c38fbc10b44-9572968.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Ruins of what was the town of Kostyantynivka, 28 November, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The talks will focus on the use of frozen Russian assets. Tombi\u0144ski said he hoped progress would be made, as Russia must pay for the costs of its war in Ukraine, he stressed.<\/p>\n<p>For Poland, it is crucial that Germany strongly supports Ukraine, Tombi\u0144ski said. The ambassador expressed satisfaction with the ongoing cooperation between the German and Polish armed forces.<\/p>\n<p>Germany is significantly more engaged in Poland than other NATO partners, Tombi\u0144ski noted.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1764933118,"updatedAt":1764940547,"publishedAt":1764940543,"firstPublishedAt":1764940543,"lastPublishedAt":1764940543,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_96ce81f8-01c3-5230-b421-f1acdf8c3fbb-9572968.jpg","altText":"A soldier stands guard by a metal barrier in Bialowieza forest, 29 May 2024","caption":"A soldier stands guard by a metal barrier in Bialowieza forest, 29 May 2024","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Czarek Sokolowski\/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1495,"height":841},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_469110a5-658f-55e0-a23d-0c38fbc10b44-9572968.jpg","altText":"Ruins of what was the town of Kostyantynivka, 28 November, 2025","caption":"Ruins of what was the town of Kostyantynivka, 28 November, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/29\/68\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_76259d22-20e7-5842-937a-08b44222020c-9572968.jpg","altText":"A Federal Police officer speaks into his radio as he and a colleague track down a group of migrants who illegally crossed the border from Poland into Germany, 11 October, 2023","caption":"A Federal Police officer speaks into his radio as he and a colleague track down a group of migrants who illegally crossed the border from Poland into Germany, 11 October, 2023","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/23\/60\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_377f4300-0f0e-534a-af60-d6329a674d45-9512360.jpg","altText":"A soldier stands guard by a metal barrier in Bialowieza Forest, 29 May, 2024","caption":"A soldier stands guard by a metal barrier in Bialowieza Forest, 29 May, 2024","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2854,"urlSafeValue":"resnik","title":"Diana Resnik","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":230,"slug":"poland","urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","titleRaw":"Poland"},{"id":26330,"slug":"ukraine-russia-border-crisis","urlSafeValue":"ukraine-russia-border-crisis","title":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine ","titleRaw":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine "},{"id":11900,"slug":"donald-trump","urlSafeValue":"donald-trump","title":"Donald Trump","titleRaw":"Donald Trump"},{"id":8151,"slug":"refugees","urlSafeValue":"refugees","title":"Refugees","titleRaw":"Refugees"},{"id":17640,"slug":"friedrich-merz","urlSafeValue":"friedrich-merz","title":"Friedrich Merz","titleRaw":"Friedrich Merz"},{"id":9369,"slug":"illegal-immigration","urlSafeValue":"illegal-immigration","title":"Illegal immigration","titleRaw":"Illegal immigration"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":2},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2817719},{"id":2733004},{"id":2439566}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/05\/exclusive-poland-sees-new-influx-of-refugees-arriving-from-western-europe","lastModified":1764940543},{"id":2851869,"cid":9572071,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"CHARGES FOR FORMER PM OF POLAND","daletPyramidId":3508026,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Euronews exclusive: State tribunal for Poland's former PM and members of his government?","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"State tribunal for Poland's former PM Morawiecki and his ministers?","titleListing2":"Prosecutor's office has brought charges against former #Prime Minister Mateusz #Morawiecki and two former members of his government. One of the ministers, in an interview with #Euronews, assessed the prosecution's actions as political.","leadin":"Three former ministers, including then Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, are alleged to have committed violations of the law in connection with their official functions.","summary":"Three former ministers, including then Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, are alleged to have committed violations of the law in connection with their official functions.","keySentence":"","url":"euronews-exclusive-state-tribunal-for-polands-former-pm-and-members-of-his-government","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/04\/euronews-exclusive-state-tribunal-for-polands-former-pm-and-members-of-his-government","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Poland's Prosecutor General Waldemar \u017burek has informed the parliament speaker that charges have been brought against three key politicians associated with the previous government led by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party.\n\nThey are former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Mariusz Blaszczak and the former head of the Ministry of Agriculture Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski.\n\nAccording to the prosecutor's office, they are all alleged to have committed violations of the law in connection with their official functions, the Prosecutor General's office announced on Thursday.\n\nAccording to law, the prosecutor is obliged to notify the parliament speaker that criminal proceedings are being conducted against a member of the Council of Ministers.\n\nThe forwarded document may become the basis for assessing whether the described actions exhaust the elements of a constitutional tort. If it is considered that there has been a violation of the constitution or laws, the Sejm may decide to refer the case to the State Tribunal.\n\nA constitutional tort is a violation of constitutional provisions by a person exercising public authority that is not a criminal offence but is a clear violation of the Constitution or a law. Such cases are heard by a State Tribunal.\n\nPersons in the highest state positions may be brought before the State Tribunal, including the president, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers and members of the Government.\n\nCharges for former members of the PiS government\n\nAccording to the prosecutor's office, former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki allegedly exceeded his powers and failed to fulfil his duties during the organisation of the missed postal elections in 2020. The investigation relates to decisions made during the pandemic period, including the alleged illegal sharing of the personal data of millions of citizens with local government units.\n\nFormer Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Mariusz Blaszczak is also facing charges. He is accused of exceeding his powers and disclosing state secrets. As minister, he is alleged to have allowed the removal of the confidentiality clause from parts of defence plans related to troop movements in the event of an attack from the east. The indictment in this case has already gone to court and Blaszczak has the status of a defendant.\n\nFinancial charges have been filed against Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski. The former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development has been accused of mismanagement, failure to fulfil his duties and exceeding his powers in connection with the provision of bank and credit guarantees to frozen food producer Eskimos SA. The prosecutor's office claims that Ardanowski, knowing of the company's poor financial condition, \"led, contrary to the applicable regulations, to the granting of a bank guarantee to the company in the total amount of PLN 100 million (around \u20ac23 million) and the granting of a credit guarantee by the National Agricultural Support Centre in the amount of PLN 20 million (\u20ac4 million).\"\n\nProceedings against all three former ministers started after their immunities were lifted by the Sejm earlier this year and in the case of Morawiecki, after he voluntarily gave up his parliamentary protection.\n\nArdanowski's comments to Euronews\n\nFormer Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski commented on the case in an interview with Euronews, calling the prosecution's actions political.\n\n\"Mr Zurek is threatening virtually all politicians on the right that he will put them before the State Tribunal. He recently deigned to say that he is also considering putting President Karol Nawrocki before the State Tribunal. For me, it is in a way an honour to be mentioned with people like Prime Minister Morawiecki or the President. I am approaching this with complete calm,\" he said.\n\nArdanowski stressed that the legal case is supposed to divert attention from the difficult situation the current government is facing.\n\n\"It seems to me that bringing up these issues is to divert attention from the actual problems of the current government. There is evidently fire there, if this kind of action on the part of the Attorney General is being taken. I don't know what this is supposed to distract attention from. Perhaps from the Prime Minister's statements towards Germany or the collapse of the health service? It is not for me to decide,\" he stated.\n\nThe former minister said that decisions regarding support for producers were the constitutional duty of a minister and were intended to prevent the bankruptcy of thousands of farms.\n\n\"I expect from the prosecutors that if they have any allegations against me, let them take the case to court. I will present witnesses. The witnesses will be the entire Council of Ministers at the time with Prime Minister Morawiecki. This decision to give a loan guarantee, which I am accused of, was with the approval of the Attorney General's Office. It was a decision to guarantee not any state aid, but a commercial guarantee related to the agreement to take over the register set, register set and matched commissions,\" he said.\n\nHe also reiterated that the State Treasury had not suffered a loss and that the whole affair was \"an affair concocted by the CBA (Central Anticorruption Bureau) leadership.\"\n\nThe former minister argued that for years he has been demanding that the case be taken to court, where he could present documents and witnesses, including the then Council of Ministers.\n\n\"I demand from the prosecutors, and I have signalled this many times, that the case be referred to court so that I can present witnesses, documents before an independent court. But the prosecutors don't flinch from referring the case to court. On the other hand, Mr Zurek, who is flailing around and does not really know what to do next, wants more politicians associated with the Polish right wing to appear before the State Tribunal. For me, this is embarrassing,\" Ardanowski told Euronews.\n\n\"An affair once concocted by the CBA leadership to shut my mouth in inverted commas, contrived to divert attention from the important problems of the current government,\" he added.\n\nArdanowski said he intends to defend himself before the Polish courts.\n\n\"I would be strongly surprised, in spite of even this political war that is going on here in the Sejm, that my actions would be considered as actions harmful to the state. This would mean that it is not worth it to be involved in activities in the state administration, to take actions that are supposed to serve Poland, to save our economy, to save certain social groups, because everything is just blunt politics of the kind that Mr \u017burek is implementing at the moment.\"\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Poland's Prosecutor General Waldemar \u017burek has informed the parliament speaker that charges have been brought against three key politicians associated with the previous government led by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party.<\/p>\n<p>They are former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Mariusz Blaszczak and the former head of the Ministry of Agriculture Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski.<\/p>\n<p>According to the prosecutor's office, they are all alleged to have committed violations of the law in connection with their official functions, the Prosecutor General's office announced on Thursday. <\/p>\n<p>According to law, the prosecutor is obliged to notify the parliament speaker that criminal proceedings are being conducted against a member of the Council of Ministers.<\/p>\n<p>The forwarded document may become the basis for assessing whether the described actions exhaust the elements of a constitutional tort. If it is considered that there has been a violation of the constitution or laws, the Sejm may decide to refer the case to the State Tribunal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//20//71//808x539_cmsv2_089a4ca1-81de-597c-8deb-e1dc1040f535-9572071.jpg/" alt=\"Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks to supporters before being interrogated by prosecutors in Warsaw, 27 February, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/384x256_cmsv2_089a4ca1-81de-597c-8deb-e1dc1040f535-9572071.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/640x427_cmsv2_089a4ca1-81de-597c-8deb-e1dc1040f535-9572071.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/750x500_cmsv2_089a4ca1-81de-597c-8deb-e1dc1040f535-9572071.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/828x552_cmsv2_089a4ca1-81de-597c-8deb-e1dc1040f535-9572071.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/1080x720_cmsv2_089a4ca1-81de-597c-8deb-e1dc1040f535-9572071.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/1200x800_cmsv2_089a4ca1-81de-597c-8deb-e1dc1040f535-9572071.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/1920x1280_cmsv2_089a4ca1-81de-597c-8deb-e1dc1040f535-9572071.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks to supporters before being interrogated by prosecutors in Warsaw, 27 February, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>A constitutional tort is a violation of constitutional provisions by a person exercising public authority that is not a criminal offence but is a clear violation of the Constitution or a law. Such cases are heard by a State Tribunal.<\/p>\n<p>Persons in the highest state positions may be brought before the State Tribunal, including the president, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers and members of the Government.<\/p>\n<h2>Charges for former members of the PiS government<\/h2>\n<p>According to the prosecutor's office, former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki allegedly exceeded his powers and failed to fulfil his duties during the organisation of the missed postal elections in 2020. The investigation relates to decisions made during the pandemic period, including the alleged illegal sharing of the personal data of millions of citizens with local government units.<\/p>\n<p>Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National DefenceMariusz Blaszczak is also facing charges. He is accused of exceeding his powers and disclosing state secrets. As minister, he is alleged to have allowed the removal of the confidentiality clause from parts of defence plans related to troop movements in the event of an attack from the east. The indictment in this case has already gone to court and Blaszczak has the status of a defendant.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//20//71//808x539_cmsv2_d660c84f-e3a9-56fc-9d9d-108c838d35e8-9572071.jpg/" alt=\"Supporters the Law and Justice party attend a rally against illegal migration and the Mercosur agreement in Warsaw, 11 October, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/384x256_cmsv2_d660c84f-e3a9-56fc-9d9d-108c838d35e8-9572071.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/640x427_cmsv2_d660c84f-e3a9-56fc-9d9d-108c838d35e8-9572071.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/750x500_cmsv2_d660c84f-e3a9-56fc-9d9d-108c838d35e8-9572071.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/828x552_cmsv2_d660c84f-e3a9-56fc-9d9d-108c838d35e8-9572071.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/1080x720_cmsv2_d660c84f-e3a9-56fc-9d9d-108c838d35e8-9572071.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/1200x800_cmsv2_d660c84f-e3a9-56fc-9d9d-108c838d35e8-9572071.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/1920x1280_cmsv2_d660c84f-e3a9-56fc-9d9d-108c838d35e8-9572071.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Supporters the Law and Justice party attend a rally against illegal migration and the Mercosur agreement in Warsaw, 11 October, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Financial charges have been filed against Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski. The former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development has been accused of mismanagement, failure to fulfil his duties and exceeding his powers in connection with the provision of bank and credit guarantees to frozen food producer Eskimos SA. The prosecutor's office claims that Ardanowski, knowing of the company's poor financial condition, \"led, contrary to the applicable regulations, to the granting of a bank guarantee to the company in the total amount of PLN 100 million (around \u20ac23 million) and the granting of a credit guarantee by theNationalAgricultural Support Centre in the amount of PLN 20 million (\u20ac4 million).\"<\/p>\n<p>Proceedings against all three former ministers started after their immunities were lifted by the Sejm earlier this year and in the case of Morawiecki, after he voluntarily gave up his parliamentary protection.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2022//12//15//europe-still-far-from-finding-a-compromise-on-the-gas-price-cap-polish-pm-tells-euronews/">Europe still 'far from finding a compromise\u2019 on the gas price cap, Polish PM tells Euronews<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2025//03//17//morawiecki-no-word-that-comes-from-the-kremlin-should-be-trusted-by-definition/">Morawiecki: No word that comes from the Kremlin should be trusted by definition<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>Ardanowski's comments to Euronews<\/h2>\n<p>Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski commented on the case in an interview with Euronews, calling the prosecution's actions political.<\/p>\n<p>\"Mr Zurek is threatening virtually all politicians on the right that he will put them before the State Tribunal. He recently deigned to say that he is also considering putting President Karol Nawrocki before the State Tribunal. For me, it is in a way an honour to be mentioned with people like Prime Minister Morawiecki or the President. I am approaching this with complete calm,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>Ardanowski stressed that the legal case is supposed to divert attention from the difficult situation the current government is facing.<\/p>\n<p>\"It seems to me that bringing up these issues is to divert attention from the actual problems of the current government. There is evidently fire there, if this kind of action on the part of the Attorney General is being taken. I don't know what this is supposed to distract attention from. Perhaps from the Prime Minister's statements towards Germany or the collapse of the health service? It is not for me to decide,\" he stated.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6664080682699767\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//15//59//808x539_cmsv2_9c4e4bf5-bfb9-5f78-b0f0-544e579f263a-9571559.jpg/" alt=\"Former Minister of Agriculture Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/15\/59\/384x256_cmsv2_9c4e4bf5-bfb9-5f78-b0f0-544e579f263a-9571559.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/15\/59\/640x427_cmsv2_9c4e4bf5-bfb9-5f78-b0f0-544e579f263a-9571559.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/15\/59\/750x500_cmsv2_9c4e4bf5-bfb9-5f78-b0f0-544e579f263a-9571559.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/15\/59\/828x552_cmsv2_9c4e4bf5-bfb9-5f78-b0f0-544e579f263a-9571559.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/15\/59\/1080x720_cmsv2_9c4e4bf5-bfb9-5f78-b0f0-544e579f263a-9571559.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/15\/59\/1200x800_cmsv2_9c4e4bf5-bfb9-5f78-b0f0-544e579f263a-9571559.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/15\/59\/1920x1280_cmsv2_9c4e4bf5-bfb9-5f78-b0f0-544e579f263a-9571559.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Former Agriculture Minister Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">X\/Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The former minister said that decisions regarding support for producers were the constitutional duty of a minister and were intended to prevent the bankruptcy of thousands of farms.<\/p>\n<p>\"I expect from the prosecutors that if they have any allegations against me, let them take the case to court. I will present witnesses. The witnesses will be the entire Council of Ministers at the time with Prime Minister Morawiecki. This decision to give a loan guarantee, which I am accused of, was with the approval of the Attorney General's Office. It was a decision to guarantee not any state aid, but a commercial guarantee related to the agreement to take over the register set, register set and matched commissions,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>He also reiterated that the State Treasury had not suffered a loss and that the whole affair was \"an affair concocted by the CBA (Central Anticorruption Bureau) leadership.\"<\/p>\n<p>The former minister argued that for years he has been demanding that the case be taken to court, where he could present documents and witnesses, including the then Council of Ministers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//51//46//15//808x539_cmsv2_79577929-ec6f-5eae-aa56-74e973e72268-9514615.jpg/" alt=\"Poland&#x2019;s lower house of parliament, the Sejm, in Warsaw, 7 March, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/46\/15\/384x256_cmsv2_79577929-ec6f-5eae-aa56-74e973e72268-9514615.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/46\/15\/640x427_cmsv2_79577929-ec6f-5eae-aa56-74e973e72268-9514615.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/46\/15\/750x500_cmsv2_79577929-ec6f-5eae-aa56-74e973e72268-9514615.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/46\/15\/828x552_cmsv2_79577929-ec6f-5eae-aa56-74e973e72268-9514615.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/46\/15\/1080x720_cmsv2_79577929-ec6f-5eae-aa56-74e973e72268-9514615.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/46\/15\/1200x800_cmsv2_79577929-ec6f-5eae-aa56-74e973e72268-9514615.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/46\/15\/1920x1280_cmsv2_79577929-ec6f-5eae-aa56-74e973e72268-9514615.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Poland&#x2019;s lower house of parliament, the Sejm, in Warsaw, 7 March, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\"I demand from the prosecutors, and I have signalled this many times, that the case be referred to court so that I can present witnesses, documents before an independent court. But the prosecutors don't flinch from referring the case to court. On the other hand, Mr Zurek, who is flailing around and does not really know what to do next, wants more politicians associated with the Polish right wing to appear before the State Tribunal. For me, this is embarrassing,\" Ardanowski told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>\"An affair once concocted by the CBA leadership to shut my mouth in inverted commas, contrived to divert attention from the important problems of the current government,\" he added.<\/p>\n<p>Ardanowski said he intends to defend himself before the Polish courts.<\/p>\n<p>\"I would be strongly surprised, in spite of even this political war that is going on here in the Sejm, that my actions would be considered as actions harmful to the state. This would mean that it is not worth it to be involved in activities in the state administration, to take actions that are supposed to serve Poland, to save our economy, to save certain social groups, because everything is just blunt politics of the kind that Mr \u017burek is implementing at the moment.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1764866161,"updatedAt":1764872748,"publishedAt":1764872744,"firstPublishedAt":1764872744,"lastPublishedAt":1764872744,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d0cbd689-ea39-5b90-8161-759784347731-9572071.jpg","altText":"A woman walks in front of Poland's Supreme Court building in Warsaw, 9 February, 2023","caption":"A woman walks in front of Poland's Supreme Court building in Warsaw, 9 February, 2023","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1619,"height":910},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d660c84f-e3a9-56fc-9d9d-108c838d35e8-9572071.jpg","altText":"Supporters the Law and Justice party attend a rally against illegal migration and the Mercosur agreement in Warsaw, 11 October, 2025","caption":"Supporters the Law and Justice party attend a rally against illegal migration and the Mercosur agreement in Warsaw, 11 October, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/20\/71\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_089a4ca1-81de-597c-8deb-e1dc1040f535-9572071.jpg","altText":"Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks to supporters before being interrogated by prosecutors in Warsaw, 27 February, 2025","caption":"Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks to supporters before being interrogated by prosecutors in Warsaw, 27 February, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/46\/15\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_79577929-ec6f-5eae-aa56-74e973e72268-9514615.jpg","altText":"Poland\u2019s lower house of parliament, the Sejm, in Warsaw, 7 March, 2025","caption":"Poland\u2019s lower house of parliament, the Sejm, in Warsaw, 7 March, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3296,"urlSafeValue":"jaronski","title":"Mateusz 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Union"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":4},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2851319},{"id":2851352},{"id":2848010}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":{"id":2211,"urlSafeValue":"warsaw","title":"Warsaw"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"pl","storyId":9571559,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/04\/euronews-exclusive-state-tribunal-for-polands-former-pm-and-members-of-his-government","lastModified":1764872744},{"id":2851319,"cid":9571621,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"BALTIC SEA SUBMARINES PL","daletPyramidId":3503377,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Poland invests \u20ac2.3 billion in Swedish submarines to modernise navy","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Poland invests \u20ac2.3 billion in Swedish submarines to modernise navy","titleListing2":"Security of the #Baltic Sea is becoming a priority for #Poland, which is investing in modern submarines. In an exclusive conversation with #Euronews, Lieutenant General Jaroslaw Gromadzinski assesses this step as crucial for the region.","leadin":"Poland is strengthening its presence in the Baltic Sea by investing in modern submarines. In an exclusive interview with Euronews, Lieutenant General Jaroslaw Gromadzinski stressed the importance of this decision for the security of the region and Europe.","summary":"Poland is strengthening its presence in the Baltic Sea by investing in modern submarines. In an exclusive interview with Euronews, Lieutenant General Jaroslaw Gromadzinski stressed the importance of this decision for the security of the region and Europe.","keySentence":"","url":"poland-invests-23-billion-in-swedish-submarines-to-modernise-navy","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/04\/poland-invests-23-billion-in-swedish-submarines-to-modernise-navy","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Poland has agreed to purchase three Swedish submarines in a deal worth approximately 10 billion zloty (\u20ac2.3 billion) as part of its long-awaited Orka naval modernisation programme.\n\nDeputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister W\u0142adys\u0142aw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced Poland will acquire A26 Blekinge-class submarines from Swedish manufacturer Saab, with the first vessel due to arrive in 2030.\n\n\"Sweden presented the best offer according to the team and this was confirmed by the Council of Ministers in an objective analysis of all criteria, both arising from delivery time, price, value, ability to operate especially in the Baltic Sea,\" Kosiniak-Kamysz said.\n\nSeven companies from six countries participated in the tender, including Germany's ThyssenKrupp, Italy's Fincantieri and France's Naval Group.\n\nSweden has pledged technology transfer and investment in Poland's shipbuilding industry to ensure the country can independently service and repair the vessels, according to the Defence Ministry.\n\nThe submarines will be able to dive to over 200 metres and operate autonomously for at least 30 days. They will be equipped with torpedoes and missile launchers capable of striking coastal and inland targets.\n\nPolish Navy's fleet outdated?\n\nThe purchase addresses critical gaps in Poland's naval capabilities. The Polish Navy currently operates about 40 vessels, of which nearly 30 are combat ships stationed mainly in Gdynia and \u015awinouj\u015bcie.\n\nTheir technical condition has raised concerns for years, as the naval forces have long been the least well-funded branch of Poland's military.\n\nPoland's only operational submarine, ORP Orze\u0142, was built in the Soviet Union in 1985 and spends more time in overhaul than at sea.\n\nThe fleet's largest vessels are equally outdated. The Oliver Hazard Perry frigates have more than 45 years of service, while the corvette ORP Kaszub is 38 years old.\n\nMost other ships serve mainly auxiliary functions, including numerous minesweepers and patrol vessels. The Kormoran II class mine destroyers remain the most modern element of the naval forces.\n\nRetired Lieutenant General Jaros\u0142aw Gromadzi\u0144ski told Euronews the Defence Ministry's decision was \"very good\", noting that three modern units guarantee continuity of combat capabilities.\n\n\"I am in favour of the contract with Sweden because the A26 submarine has a modular design that can be configured according to the needs of the ordering party,\" Gromadzi\u0144ski said. \"This ship has the advantage of being designed with the specifics of the Baltic Sea in mind.\"\n\nHowever, he noted the Navy has lacked strategic vision compared to Poland's land forces.\n\n\"We have the largest land army in Europe, but this is mainly due to the fact that we are bordering an aggressor. In my opinion, we have not been fully convinced of what role the Navy should play,\" he said.\n\nBaltic Sea of strategic importance\n\nSecuring the Baltic Sea is crucial for Poland's economic and energy security.\n\nThree Orlen oil platforms operate at sea, while Gdansk's oil port handles supplies for refineries in Poland and Germany.\n\nThe offshore wind energy sector is also developing, with the first 1.14 gigawatt farm due to be commissioned in 2026 some 23 kilometres offshore. It will provide energy for 1.5 million households and reduce CO\u2082 emissions by 2.8 million tonnes annually.\n\nThe LNG terminal in \u015awinouj\u015bcie has a capacity exceeding 8 billion cubic metres per year, while the Baltic Pipe pipeline can transport 10 billion cubic metres. According to analysts, both investments cover Poland's full annual gas demand.\n\nNumerous power and telecommunications cables also rest on the Baltic seabed. Poland operates three major container terminals: Baltic Hub in Gdansk, BCT and GCT in Gdynia, and facilities at the Szczecin-\u015awinouj\u015bcie port complex.\n\nOn 14 January, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte launched the Baltic Sentry mission to counter Russian sabotage activities in the Baltic Sea and limit operations of the so-called shadow fleet.\n\nRussian tankers, often sailing under third-country flags, have been transporting oil to India despite sanctions. There have also been reports of damage to undersea cables.\n\nGromadzi\u0144ski warned that continued underinvestment in the fleet increases risks to key facilities.\n\n\"We need to build two or even three lines of protection. Firstly, we need reconnaissance in various forms: submarines and surface ships, sensor networks and reconnaissance aircraft,\" he said.\n\n\"This is a very complex system that is not economically viable for one country to maintain. However, in cooperation with Sweden, Finland, Denmark or Germany, we could have a technological, informational and strategic advantage.\"\n\nThe second line of defence should be anti-aircraft systems on ships and platforms, while the third should be kinetic strikes against enemy objects in the Baltic, he added.\n\nRussian Baltic Fleet and NATO\n\nThe Russian Baltic Fleet is stationed in Baltiysk at the entrance to the Vistula lagoon and in the Gulf of Finland. It includes a submarine, a destroyer, two frigates, four corvettes and a dozen small missile vessels and landing craft.\n\nThe accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO has shifted the balance of power in the region. Combined with support from Poland, Germany and Denmark, Russian vessels now face a much more difficult strategic position.\n\nShips stationed in the Gulf of Finland are particularly vulnerable, as the narrow body of water can be quickly closed off with mines or anti-ship missiles during conflict.\n\nStrategic islands, especially Gotland, are also crucial. Control of Gotland determines dominance in the Baltic, prompting Sweden to increase its military presence there.\n\n\"Russia maintains a fleet in the Baltic, and our task is to lock it in the ports so that, if necessary, it provides an easy target for artillery. In the event of a conflict, we must not allow these vessels to go to sea,\" Gromadzi\u0144ski said.\n\nHe recommended relocating Poland's main naval defence forces and command to \u015awinouj\u015bcie in the west, out of reach of potential eastern threats.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Poland has agreed to purchase three Swedish submarines in a deal worth approximately 10 billion zloty (\u20ac2.3 billion) as part of its long-awaited Orka naval modernisation programme.<\/p>\n<p>Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister W\u0142adys\u0142aw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced Poland will acquire A26 Blekinge-class submarines from Swedish manufacturer Saab, with the first vessel due to arrive in 2030.<\/p>\n<p>\"Sweden presented the best offer according to the team and this was confirmed by the Council of Ministers in an objective analysis of all criteria, both arising from delivery time, price, value, ability to operate especially in the Baltic Sea,\" Kosiniak-Kamysz said.<\/p>\n<p>Seven companies from six countries participated in the tender, including Germany's ThyssenKrupp, Italy's Fincantieri and France's Naval Group.<\/p>\n<p>Sweden has pledged technology transfer and investment in Poland's shipbuilding industry to ensure the country can independently service and repair the vessels, according to the Defence Ministry.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1993754833560670580\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The submarines will be able to dive to over 200 metres and operate autonomously for at least 30 days. They will be equipped with torpedoes and missile launchers capable of striking coastal and inland targets.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Polish Navy's fleet outdated?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The purchase addresses critical gaps in Poland's naval capabilities. The Polish Navy currently operates about 40 vessels, of which nearly 30 are combat ships stationed mainly in Gdynia and \u015awinouj\u015bcie.<\/p>\n<p>Their technical condition has raised concerns for years, as the naval forces have long been the least well-funded branch of Poland's military.<\/p>\n<p>Poland's only operational submarine, ORP Orze\u0142, was built in the Soviet Union in 1985 and spends more time in overhaul than at sea.<\/p>\n<p>The fleet's largest vessels are equally outdated. The Oliver Hazard Perry frigates have more than 45 years of service, while the corvette ORP Kaszub is 38 years old.<\/p>\n<p>Most other ships serve mainly auxiliary functions, including numerous minesweepers and patrol vessels. The Kormoran II class mine destroyers remain the most modern element of the naval forces.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//16//21//808x539_cmsv2_c473a2bb-bf9f-53c6-8ebc-e052a41c6a21-9571621.jpg/" alt=\"FILE: The Polish frigate &#x22;General Kosciuszko&#x22; sets course at the start of the Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) NATO maneuver from the port of Warenmuende, 5 June 2025.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/384x256_cmsv2_c473a2bb-bf9f-53c6-8ebc-e052a41c6a21-9571621.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/640x427_cmsv2_c473a2bb-bf9f-53c6-8ebc-e052a41c6a21-9571621.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/750x500_cmsv2_c473a2bb-bf9f-53c6-8ebc-e052a41c6a21-9571621.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/828x552_cmsv2_c473a2bb-bf9f-53c6-8ebc-e052a41c6a21-9571621.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/1080x720_cmsv2_c473a2bb-bf9f-53c6-8ebc-e052a41c6a21-9571621.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/1200x800_cmsv2_c473a2bb-bf9f-53c6-8ebc-e052a41c6a21-9571621.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/1920x1281_cmsv2_c473a2bb-bf9f-53c6-8ebc-e052a41c6a21-9571621.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">FILE: The Polish frigate &#x22;General Kosciuszko&#x22; sets course at the start of the Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) NATO maneuver from the port of Warenmuende, 5 June 2025.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Retired Lieutenant General Jaros\u0142aw Gromadzi\u0144ski told Euronews the Defence Ministry's decision was \"very good\", noting that three modern units guarantee continuity of combat capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>\"I am in favour of the contract with Sweden because the A26 submarine has a modular design that can be configured according to the needs of the ordering party,\" Gromadzi\u0144ski said. \"This ship has the advantage of being designed with the specifics of the Baltic Sea in mind.\"<\/p>\n<p>However, he noted the Navy has lacked strategic vision compared to Poland's land forces.<\/p>\n<p>\"We have the largest land army in Europe, but this is mainly due to the fact that we are bordering an aggressor. In my opinion, we have not been fully convinced of what role the Navy should play,\" he said.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Baltic Sea of strategic importance<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Securing the Baltic Sea is crucial for Poland's economic and energy security.<\/p>\n<p>Three Orlen oil platforms operate at sea, while Gdansk's oil port handles supplies for refineries in Poland and Germany.<\/p>\n<p>The offshore wind energy sector is also developing, with the first 1.14 gigawatt farm due to be commissioned in 2026 some 23 kilometres offshore. It will provide energy for 1.5 million households and reduce CO\u2082 emissions by 2.8 million tonnes annually.<\/p>\n<p>The LNG terminal in \u015awinouj\u015bcie has a capacity exceeding 8 billion cubic metres per year, while the Baltic Pipe pipeline can transport 10 billion cubic metres. According to analysts, both investments cover Poland's full annual gas demand.<\/p>\n<p>Numerous power and telecommunications cables also rest on the Baltic seabed. Poland operates three major container terminals: Baltic Hub in Gdansk, BCT and GCT in Gdynia, and facilities at the Szczecin-\u015awinouj\u015bcie port complex.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//16//21//808x539_cmsv2_67023b29-5719-5c98-a055-19fe5f0bb011-9571621.jpg/" alt=\"NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during a media conference after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, 3 December 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/384x256_cmsv2_67023b29-5719-5c98-a055-19fe5f0bb011-9571621.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/640x427_cmsv2_67023b29-5719-5c98-a055-19fe5f0bb011-9571621.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/750x500_cmsv2_67023b29-5719-5c98-a055-19fe5f0bb011-9571621.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/828x552_cmsv2_67023b29-5719-5c98-a055-19fe5f0bb011-9571621.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/1080x720_cmsv2_67023b29-5719-5c98-a055-19fe5f0bb011-9571621.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/1200x800_cmsv2_67023b29-5719-5c98-a055-19fe5f0bb011-9571621.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/1920x1281_cmsv2_67023b29-5719-5c98-a055-19fe5f0bb011-9571621.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during a media conference after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, 3 December 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>On 14 January, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte launched the Baltic Sentry mission to counter Russian sabotage activities in the Baltic Sea and limit operations of the so-called shadow fleet.<\/p>\n<p>Russian tankers, often sailing under third-country flags, have been transporting oil to India despite sanctions. There have also been reports of damage to undersea cables.<\/p>\n<p>Gromadzi\u0144ski warned that continued underinvestment in the fleet increases risks to key facilities.<\/p>\n<p>\"We need to build two or even three lines of protection. Firstly, we need reconnaissance in various forms: submarines and surface ships, sensor networks and reconnaissance aircraft,\" he said. <\/p>\n<p>\"This is a very complex system that is not economically viable for one country to maintain. However, in cooperation with Sweden, Finland, Denmark or Germany, we could have a technological, informational and strategic advantage.\"<\/p>\n<p>The second line of defence should be anti-aircraft systems on ships and platforms, while the third should be kinetic strikes against enemy objects in the Baltic, he added.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Russian Baltic Fleet and NATO<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Russian Baltic Fleet is stationed in Baltiysk at the entrance to the Vistula lagoon and in the Gulf of Finland. It includes a submarine, a destroyer, two frigates, four corvettes and a dozen small missile vessels and landing craft.<\/p>\n<p>The accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO has shifted the balance of power in the region. Combined with support from Poland, Germany and Denmark, Russian vessels now face a much more difficult strategic position.<\/p>\n<p>Ships stationed in the Gulf of Finland are particularly vulnerable, as the narrow body of water can be quickly closed off with mines or anti-ship missiles during conflict.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.666015625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//16//21//808x539_cmsv2_f0c1b73d-fbd2-5376-ae7e-166d1f1c2bd0-9571621.jpg/" alt=\"A military hovercraft approaches shore during the Russian-Belarusian West-2013 joint war games at the Khmelevka shooting range in Kaliningrad region, 26 September 2013\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/384x256_cmsv2_f0c1b73d-fbd2-5376-ae7e-166d1f1c2bd0-9571621.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/640x426_cmsv2_f0c1b73d-fbd2-5376-ae7e-166d1f1c2bd0-9571621.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/750x500_cmsv2_f0c1b73d-fbd2-5376-ae7e-166d1f1c2bd0-9571621.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/828x551_cmsv2_f0c1b73d-fbd2-5376-ae7e-166d1f1c2bd0-9571621.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/1080x719_cmsv2_f0c1b73d-fbd2-5376-ae7e-166d1f1c2bd0-9571621.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/1200x799_cmsv2_f0c1b73d-fbd2-5376-ae7e-166d1f1c2bd0-9571621.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/1920x1279_cmsv2_f0c1b73d-fbd2-5376-ae7e-166d1f1c2bd0-9571621.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A military hovercraft approaches shore during the Russian-Belarusian West-2013 joint war games at the Khmelevka shooting range in Kaliningrad region, 26 September 2013<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Alexei Druzhinin\/AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Strategic islands, especially Gotland, are also crucial. Control of Gotland determines dominance in the Baltic, prompting Sweden to increase its military presence there.<\/p>\n<p>\"Russia maintains a fleet in the Baltic, and our task is to lock it in the ports so that, if necessary, it provides an easy target for artillery. In the event of a conflict, we must not allow these vessels to go to sea,\" Gromadzi\u0144ski said.<\/p>\n<p>He recommended relocating Poland's main naval defence forces and command to \u015awinouj\u015bcie in the west, out of reach of potential eastern threats.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1764847921,"updatedAt":1764855354,"publishedAt":1764855350,"firstPublishedAt":1764855350,"lastPublishedAt":1764855350,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/89\/78\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_93a6532d-e412-5fdd-8baf-a3e00e81d7c0-9568978.jpg","altText":"Soldiers of the Polish Navy. ","caption":"Soldiers of the Polish Navy. ","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Alik Keplicz\/Copyright 2017 The AP. All rights reserved.","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1588,"height":893},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f0c1b73d-fbd2-5376-ae7e-166d1f1c2bd0-9571621.jpg","altText":"A military hovercraft approaches shore during the Russian-Belarusian West-2013 joint war games at the Khmelevka shooting range in Kaliningrad region, 26 September 2013","caption":"A military hovercraft approaches shore during the Russian-Belarusian West-2013 joint war games at the Khmelevka shooting range in Kaliningrad region, 26 September 2013","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Alexei Druzhinin\/AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":682},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_67023b29-5719-5c98-a055-19fe5f0bb011-9571621.jpg","altText":"NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during a media conference after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, 3 December 2025","caption":"NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during a media conference after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, 3 December 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/16\/21\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c473a2bb-bf9f-53c6-8ebc-e052a41c6a21-9571621.jpg","altText":"FILE: The Polish frigate \"General Kosciuszko\" sets course at the start of the Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) NATO maneuver from the port of Warenmuende, 5 June 2025.","caption":"FILE: The Polish frigate \"General Kosciuszko\" sets course at the start of the Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) NATO maneuver from the port of Warenmuende, 5 June 2025.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3296,"urlSafeValue":"jaronski","title":"Mateusz Jaronski","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":105,"slug":"european-union","urlSafeValue":"european-union","title":"European Union","titleRaw":"European Union"},{"id":205,"slug":"nato","urlSafeValue":"nato","title":"NATO","titleRaw":"NATO"},{"id":230,"slug":"poland","urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","titleRaw":"Poland"},{"id":7812,"slug":"sweden","urlSafeValue":"sweden","title":"Sweden","titleRaw":"Sweden"},{"id":13526,"slug":"navy","urlSafeValue":"navy","title":"navy","titleRaw":"navy"},{"id":18498,"slug":"baltic-sea","urlSafeValue":"baltic-sea","title":"Baltic Sea","titleRaw":"Baltic Sea"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":3},{"slug":"twitter","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2851869}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":{"id":1,"slug":"deepl","isActive":1},"localisation":{"producerLanguage":"pl","storyId":9568978,"online":1},"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":1,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/04\/poland-invests-23-billion-in-swedish-submarines-to-modernise-navy","lastModified":1764855350},{"id":2851352,"cid":9569170,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"POLAND CHARGES RUSSIAN MAN SABOTAGE","daletPyramidId":3481929,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Poland charges Russian man with directing sabotage and spying from Moscow region","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Poland charges Russian man with directing sabotage from Moscow region","titleListing2":"Poland charges Russian man with directing sabotage from Moscow region","leadin":"Mikhail Mirgorodsky faces five charges, including organising and leading a criminal group and ordering threats against Ukrainians in Poland.","summary":"Mikhail Mirgorodsky faces five charges, including organising and leading a criminal group and ordering threats against Ukrainians in Poland.","keySentence":"","url":"poland-charges-russian-man-with-directing-sabotage-and-spying-from-moscow-region","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/02\/poland-charges-russian-man-with-directing-sabotage-and-spying-from-moscow-region","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Polish authorities have charged a Russian national in absentia with directing a sabotage and espionage network in Poland on behalf of the Kremlin's intelligence services.\n\nMikhail Mirgorodsky, 28, is accused of leading an organised criminal group of at least 30 people who carried out sabotage on Polish soil at the behest of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), prosecutors said in a statement on Tuesday.\n\nWhile residing in Russia, Mirgorodsky allegedly oversaw \"espionage, sabotage, subversion and propaganda activities on behalf of the aforementioned intelligence,\" prosecutors said.\n\nHe used the Telegram messaging app to direct the group and his expertise in cryptocurrency to finance their activities in Poland, according to officials.\n\nMirgorodsky \u2014 a mathematician who is said to live in a town in the Moscow region \u2014 faces five charges, including organising and leading a criminal group, arson attacks, ordering threats against Ukrainians in Poland and financing crime with cryptocurrency.\n\nPolish prosecutors said they had initiated a search for the suspect with an arrest warrant and taken steps to launch an international manhunt through an Interpol red notice.\n\nIn 2023, 16 members of Mirgorodsky's network were arrested, including a dozen Ukrainians, three Belarusians and one Russian citizen, according to Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW). They were jailed for terms ranging from 13 months to six years.\n\nAs a result, the group's attempt in 2023 to derail trains transporting weapons and humanitarian aid to Ukraine through Poland was foiled, authorities said.\n\nAs part of the ongoing investigation, eight others \u2014 three Belarusians, a Ukrainian, a Lithuanian, a Polish citizen and two Russians, including Mirgorodsky \u2014 have also been charged, the ABW said. Six of them are located outside Poland.\n\nFurther efforts are underway to identify at least six other suspected members of the group, according to the ABW.\n\nThe development comes a month after an explosion on a railway track in Poland that Warsaw blamed on Ukrainian nationals working as agents for Russian intelligence.\n\nPolish officials say the nation is the target of espionage and hybrid war attacks initiated by Moscow that have grown more serious following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.\n\nSince then, Poland has detained dozens of people over suspected sabotage and espionage on its territory on behalf of Russia or Belarus.\n\nSecurity agencies across Europe have accused Russia of staging dozens of attacks and other sabotage incidents on the continent, often using people with passports other than Russian for its activities, such as Bulgarian, Moldovan or Ukrainian.\n\nMoscow has repeatedly denied such allegations, despite a slew of evidence and court cases proving otherwise.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Polish authorities have charged a Russian national in absentia with directing a sabotage and espionage network in Poland on behalf of the Kremlin's intelligence services. <\/p>\n<p>Mikhail Mirgorodsky, 28, is accused of leading an organised criminal group of at least 30 people who carried out sabotage on Polish soil at the behest of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), prosecutors said in a statement on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>While residing in Russia, Mirgorodsky allegedly oversaw \"espionage, sabotage, subversion and propaganda activities on behalf of the aforementioned intelligence,\" prosecutors said.<\/p>\n<p>He used the Telegram messaging app to direct the group and his expertise in cryptocurrency to finance their activities in Poland, according to officials. <\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//53//16//37//808x539_cmsv2_6c4acf80-809b-5749-9553-7963b043b69b-9531637.jpg/" alt=\"People walk through Red Square with the Kremlin in the background in Moscow, 17 October, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/53\/16\/37\/384x256_cmsv2_6c4acf80-809b-5749-9553-7963b043b69b-9531637.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/53\/16\/37\/640x427_cmsv2_6c4acf80-809b-5749-9553-7963b043b69b-9531637.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/53\/16\/37\/750x500_cmsv2_6c4acf80-809b-5749-9553-7963b043b69b-9531637.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/53\/16\/37\/828x552_cmsv2_6c4acf80-809b-5749-9553-7963b043b69b-9531637.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/53\/16\/37\/1080x720_cmsv2_6c4acf80-809b-5749-9553-7963b043b69b-9531637.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/53\/16\/37\/1200x800_cmsv2_6c4acf80-809b-5749-9553-7963b043b69b-9531637.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/53\/16\/37\/1920x1280_cmsv2_6c4acf80-809b-5749-9553-7963b043b69b-9531637.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">People walk through Red Square with the Kremlin in the background in Moscow, 17 October, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Mirgorodsky \u2014 a mathematician who is said to live in a town in the Moscow region \u2014 faces five charges, including organising and leading a criminal group, arson attacks, ordering threats against Ukrainians in Poland and financing crime with cryptocurrency. <\/p>\n<p>Polish prosecutors said they had initiated a search for the suspect with an arrest warrant and taken steps to launch an international manhunt through an Interpol red notice.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, 16 members of Mirgorodsky's network were arrested, including a dozen Ukrainians, three Belarusians and one Russian citizen, according to Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW). They were jailed for terms ranging from 13 months to six years.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, the group's attempt in 2023 to derail trains transporting weapons and humanitarian aid to Ukraine through Poland was foiled, authorities said.<\/p>\n<p>As part of the ongoing investigation, eight others \u2014 three Belarusians, a Ukrainian, a Lithuanian, a Polish citizen and two Russians, including Mirgorodsky \u2014 have also been charged, the ABW said. Six of them are located outside Poland.<\/p>\n<p>Further efforts are underway to identify at least six other suspected members of the group, according to the ABW.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//12//02//russia-cuts-troop-bonuses-and-delays-death-benefits-amid-budget-shortfalls/">Russia cuts troop bonuses and delays death benefits amid budget shortfalls<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//12//02//third-russian-tanker-attacked-in-the-black-sea-turkey-says/">Third Russian tanker attacked in the Black Sea, Turkey says<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The development comes a month after an explosion on a railway track in Poland that Warsaw blamed on Ukrainian nationals working as agents for Russian intelligence.<\/p>\n<p>Polish officials say the nation is the target of espionage and hybrid war attacks initiated by Moscow that have grown more serious following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. <\/p>\n<p>Since then, Poland has detained dozens of people over suspected sabotage and espionage on its territory on behalf of Russia or Belarus.<\/p>\n<p>Security agencies across Europe have accused Russia of staging dozens of attacks and other sabotage incidents on the continent, often using people with passports other than Russian for its activities, such as Bulgarian, Moldovan or Ukrainian.<\/p>\n<p>Moscow has repeatedly denied such allegations, despite a slew of evidence and court cases proving otherwise.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1764688496,"updatedAt":1764694590,"publishedAt":1764694566,"firstPublishedAt":1764694566,"lastPublishedAt":1764694566,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/56\/91\/70\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0e346d22-ef80-5003-b240-c90b6522fccb-9569170.jpg","altText":"FILE: Prime Minister Donald Tusk, second right, visits site of the rail line Mika, that was damaged by sabotage, near Deblin, Poland, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025.","caption":"FILE: Prime Minister Donald Tusk, second right, visits site of the rail line Mika, that was damaged by sabotage, near Deblin, Poland, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"KPRM\/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1918,"height":1079},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/53\/16\/37\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_6c4acf80-809b-5749-9553-7963b043b69b-9531637.jpg","altText":"People walk through Red Square with the Kremlin in the background in Moscow, 17 October, 2025","caption":"People walk through Red Square with the Kremlin in the background in Moscow, 17 October, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3238,"urlSafeValue":"guilbert","title":"Kieran Guilbert","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"},{"id":230,"slug":"poland","urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","titleRaw":"Poland"},{"id":19440,"slug":"sabotage","urlSafeValue":"sabotage","title":"sabotage","titleRaw":"sabotage"},{"id":26698,"slug":"russia-ukraine-invasion","urlSafeValue":"russia-ukraine-invasion","title":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine","titleRaw":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2848010},{"id":2847885},{"id":2851869}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"},{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/02\/poland-charges-russian-man-with-directing-sabotage-and-spying-from-moscow-region","lastModified":1764694566},{"id":2848559,"cid":9557213,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NC7 POLAND WINTER WEATHER","daletPyramidId":3381124,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Poland braces for heavy snow and avalanches","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Poland prepared for heavy snow and avalanche danger","titleListing2":"Poland braces for heavy snow and avalanches in the south and east","leadin":"Heavy snowfall, sleet, and negative temperatures affect southern and eastern Poland. Up to 20 cm of snow expected in some areas, with level 2 avalanche danger in the Tatra Mountains.","summary":"Heavy snowfall, sleet, and negative temperatures affect southern and eastern Poland. Up to 20 cm of snow expected in some areas, with level 2 avalanche danger in the Tatra Mountains.","keySentence":"","url":"poland-braces-for-heavy-snow-and-avalanches","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/11\/21\/poland-braces-for-heavy-snow-and-avalanches","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Poland's first wave of winter weather has reached the south and east, with heavy snow warnings for Podkarpackie, Ma\u0142opolskie and Lublin.\n\nMeteorologists expect negative temperatures, sleet and steady snowfall through the weekend. In the foothills, temperatures could fall to -7\u00b0C, while parts of Ma\u0142opolska and Podkarpacie may see up to 20 cm of snow. In the Tatra Mountains, rescuers report level 2 avalanche danger and trails covered by fresh, loose snow up to 50 cm. They urge tourists to avoid mountain hikes.\n\nThe Institute of Meteorology and Water Management says the conditions stem from a mix of high pressure over Europe and low pressure over the Baltic and Ligurian Seas.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Poland's first wave of winter weather has reached the south and east, with heavy snow warnings for Podkarpackie, Ma\u0142opolskie and Lublin. <\/p>\n<p>Meteorologists expect negative temperatures, sleet and steady snowfall through the weekend. In the foothills, temperatures could fall to -7\u00b0C, while parts of Ma\u0142opolska and Podkarpacie may see up to 20 cm of snow. In the Tatra Mountains, rescuers report level 2 avalanche danger and trails covered by fresh, loose snow up to 50 cm. They urge tourists to avoid mountain hikes. <\/p>\n<p>The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management says the conditions stem from a mix of high pressure over Europe and low pressure over the Baltic and Ligurian Seas.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1763739386,"updatedAt":1763746793,"publishedAt":1763746357,"firstPublishedAt":1763746357,"lastPublishedAt":1763746357,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/55\/72\/13\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_083afbfb-4b88-5ac9-b77a-abf834188b57-9557213.jpg","altText":"A lady protects herself from the heavy snowfall under her umbrella, Poland, Nov. 20, 2025","caption":"A lady protects herself from the heavy snowfall under her umbrella, Poland, Nov. 20, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Screenshot from a Telewizja Polska video.","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2134,"urlSafeValue":"mauduit","title":"Frederique Mauduit","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[{"id":2134,"urlSafeValue":"mauduit","title":"Frederique Mauduit","twitter":null}]},"keywords":[{"id":230,"slug":"poland","urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","titleRaw":"Poland"},{"id":17856,"slug":"extreme-weather","urlSafeValue":"extreme-weather","title":"Extreme weather","titleRaw":"Extreme weather"},{"id":8275,"slug":"snowfall","urlSafeValue":"snowfall","title":"Snowfall","titleRaw":"Snowfall"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2840509},{"id":2845923},{"id":2850182}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"5QY6VKXCDTI","dailymotionId":"x9u7kqa"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/29\/90\/30\/09\/ED_PYR_2990309_20251121155050.mp4","editor":"","duration":60000,"filesizeBytes":11634207,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/29\/90\/30\/09\/SHD_PYR_2990309_20251121155050.mp4","editor":"","duration":60000,"filesizeBytes":16280266,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"1080p","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/29\/90\/30\/09\/FHD_PYR_2990309_20251121155050.mp4","editor":"","duration":60000,"filesizeBytes":48450374,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"Telewizja Polska","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"No Comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":230,"urlSafeValue":"poland","title":"Poland","url":"\/news\/europe\/poland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/video\/2025\/11\/21\/poland-braces-for-heavy-snow-and-avalanches","lastModified":1763746357}]">

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Polish city Elbląg declares flood alert as river exceeds warning level

The mayor declared an alert after the water level exceeded the 590cm threshold, driven by winds that pushed the lagoon water upstream. Barriers were deployed, but no evacuations were undertaken on Saturday night.

28/12/2025

Poland

Poland scrambles fighter jets for security drill

Civilian airports in Rzeszów and Lublin were temporarily closed in the early hours of Saturday. After several hours, air traffic at both airports was resumed.

27/12/2025

Travel News

New report says Poland is the destination of choice for most Europeans

Poland ranks high among Europeans' favourite destinations for short Christmas and New Year's Eve trips this year, according to Travel and Tour World (TTW), the industry leading global media platform. Its report highlights two Polish cities in particular.

26/12/2025

Art

Full disclosure: self-portrait artist Celia Paul opens up in Warsaw

"It feels like a crisis every time I pick up a brush and paint, it's life or death." There's no sense of exaggeration or drama when Celia Paul talks about her work but her paintings speak volumes about, tenderness, spirituality and the people she loves most.

25/12/2025

Poland

Ukraine demands extradition of Russian archaeologist from Poland

The authorities in Kyiv have requested the extradition from Poland of Alexander Butyagin, who was detained in Warsaw in early December over conducting archaeological excavations in Russian-occupied Crimea.

23/12/2025

Poland

Poland sets up anti-drone system on Belarus border amid security fears

Poland installed the first cluster of anti-drone defence systems on a new observation tower near the Belarus border as the government strengthens security. Over 6,000 personnel to spend Christmas on border duty.

23/12/2025

Travel News

Poland is building a €30 billion mega-airport. When will it open?

Port Polska is envisioned as a gateway to Europe and as one of the largest transport hubs in the region.

23/12/2025

Poland

Top EU court rules Polish Constitutional Tribunal is not independent

The Constitutional Tribunal is the highest judicial body in Poland, responsible for checking the compatibility of laws and international agreements with the country's constitution.

18/12/2025

Poland

Polish authorities foil IS-inspired Christmas market attack plot

A 19-year-old law student at Poland's Catholic University of Lublin has been arrested for allegedly planning a terrorist attack in support of the IS jihadist group. He faces between 12 years and life imprisonment if convicted.

16/12/2025

Poland

Tunnel under Poland-Belarus border for immigrant smuggling discovered

More than 180 foreigners have illegally entered Poland through a tunnel under the border with Belarus. Most of the migrants have already been detained, the search for the others is still ongoing.

13/12/2025

Culture news

'Stolen Children' documentary highlights Georgian adoption scandal

From the 1970s until at least 2005, nurses, doctors or taxi drivers were involved in child theft in Georgia. The mothers were told their babies had died and the bodies were not released. Now, a new documentary has given the children a chance to find their biological family.

11/12/2025

Poland

EU greenlights construction of first nuclear power plant in Poland

According to the government, energy from the plant is expected to be cheaper than current alternatives and paves the way for Poland to have a stable and environmentally friendly energy system.

11/12/2025

The Cube

Did Donald Tusk say Poland will pay for Germany's WWII crimes?

Viral claims online have misrepresented Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's remark that Warsaw would pay for the Polish victims of WWII, and not Germany, amidst an ongoing reparations debate with Berlin.

08/12/2025

Poland

Exclusive: Poland sees new influx of refugees arriving from the West

Polish ambassador Jan Tombiński reports a new trend of refugees arriving from western Europe as Warsaw reviews its asylum regulations and border controls with Germany.

05/12/2025

Poland

State tribunal for Poland's former PM Morawiecki and his ministers?

Three former ministers, including then Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, are alleged to have committed violations of the law in connection with their official functions.

04/12/2025

Poland

Poland invests €2.3 billion in Swedish submarines to modernise navy

Poland is strengthening its presence in the Baltic Sea by investing in modern submarines. In an exclusive interview with Euronews, Lieutenant General Jaroslaw Gromadzinski stressed the importance of this decision for the security of the region and Europe.

04/12/2025

Poland

Poland charges Russian man with directing sabotage from Moscow region

Mikhail Mirgorodsky faces five charges, including organising and leading a criminal group and ordering threats against Ukrainians in Poland.

02/12/2025

No Comment

Poland prepared for heavy snow and avalanche danger

Heavy snowfall, sleet, and negative temperatures affect southern and eastern Poland. Up to 20 cm of snow expected in some areas, with level 2 avalanche danger in the Tatra Mountains.

21/11/2025